[Bards] Mid-Realm Bardic Madness IX

Cerian Cantwr cerian at minstrel.com
Fri Sep 21 12:14:29 PDT 2007


Alden tells me that Bardic Madness is opposite your own kingdom bardic
championships this year.  So, consider this information for possible
future reference next year.  There are currently two Bardic Madnesses
(Madnii?) per year.  Northshield's takes place in the February/March
time frame and the Mid-Realm's in November/December.


Cerian



It's that time of year again.  Please feel free to forward this message
to any gentles or e-lists you think might be interested.  Hope to see
you there.

Lodging details aren't set up yet.  We hope to have them sorted out
in the next week or so.

The closest major airport is St Louis.  Nearby regional airports
are in the Quad Cities and Peoria.

Cerian
cerian at minstrel.com


PS: We're also looking for people to teach bardic oriented classes
     and act as patrons for the various challenges.


Bardic Madness South IX: Myth, Legend, and Tale


Greetings and welcome are bid to all Bards, Troubadours, Trouveres,
Minstrels, Minnesingers, Jongleurs, Singers, Storytellers, Poets, Scops,
Skalds, Fillids, Olaves, Griots, Wordsmiths, and Friends of these arts.


This year's Bardic Madness will take place on December 15th, 2007. Our
hosts will be the Shire of Lochmorrow (Macomb, IL). Many thanks go to
all of them for their hospitality in helping the bardic community out
this year. Our theme is inspired by some great period myths, legends,
and tales – and how they change from the latter to the former.

The purpose of today's challenges is to encourage the participants'
creativity and artistic growth.  They are not meant to be competitions -
everyone who takes part can consider themselves a winner.

Your response to the various challenges may be in many different forms.
Song or story are the most obvious choices; however juggling, magic,
instrumental, or dance can also express an idea or tell a tale.  All of
these could be used to answer a given challenge (though perhaps not all
at the same time :-) .  Our desire here is to be inclusive rather than
exclusive.  If you have something to share that doesn't quite fit or
that stretches the definitions a little, then fire away.

It is our wish to create a "bardic safe zone" - a friendly place where
you may feel free to experiment and try new things.  If you've never
performed before, now's your chance.  You'll be hard pressed to find a
friendlier and more supportive audience.  We would be delighted to see
lots of first time performers.

Please remember, in order to make sure as many gentles get a chance to
perform as possible, we ask that you limit your performances so that
they run less than five minutes.

For more event information, see the website at
http://tilted-windmill.com/bms9/  Additional information will be posted
there as it becomes available.

For questions about the days bardic activities (challenges, teaching a
class, participating in the concert), please contact the provost:
    Cerian Cantwr
    630-887-8514
    cerian at minstrel.com

For questions about serving as a patron, please contact the assistant
provost:
    Lucia Elena Braganza
    kcoutinho at att.net

For questions about the site and logistics, please contact the autocrat:
    Ixtilixochitl
    309-299-1250
    ix at terraefinis.org


The Challenges

Fyt the First:

Pass the Tale:
All those who wish to participate get up together, and tell a tale from
beginning to end.  The challenge's patron will 'conduct' by pointing to
the person whose turn it is to continue the tale, and deciding when it
is time to end.

Third Times the Charm:
Genie’s grant three wishes per person – no more, no less.  Several other
mystical wish fulfillment agencies also follow this same pattern.  In
song, story, or poem tell us how such a tradition came to be.

The Joys of Sea Travel:
Sirens, cyclops, and eating other people’s cattle; these are among the
many perils that can be encountered on a long sea voyage.  Tell us of
some nautical nightmare encountered while sailing stange and wondrous
waters.


Fyt the Second:

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words:
Members of the populace will draw pictures for this challenge based on
the theme: a great journey (feel free to define this broadly).
Participants will pull both a drawing and a song out of a hat just
before the challenge starts.  Write two verses and a chorus about the
picture using the tune.

Petrarch’s Favorite:
Write a sonnet about any mythical or legendary person or event.

Delving into the Decameron:
Boccaccio described a group of ten young Florentines who left the city
to escape the Black Plague. To pass the time, they danced, sang, and
challenged each other to tell stories on a topic di giorno - a week-long
bardic circle!!  Our challenge comes from the eighth day.  In story,
song, or poem tell us of the tricks that people are forever playing upon
each other.


Fyt the Third:

Mazacroca:
Given several texts to choose from in foreign languages, "translate" one
of them and explain what it "really" means.

On the Other Claw:
Heroes slay monsters – it seems to be part of the job description.
Whether their names be Beowulf, Odyssyus, or Sinbad; monster slayage
seems bound to occur.  Tell us what the creature community thinks of
this heroic pastime.


Period Piece:
Perform a documentably period piece of music, story, or song (poetry,
prose, and so forth are good too).  Dig out those reference books, blow
off the dust (try not to sneeze), and see what wonderful and magical
treasures you can find in them.  There is a staggering amount of
fantastic material out there.  Find something, be it silly or sublime,
and amaze us with it.


Fyt the Fourth:

Bard Scribe Illuminator:
Given a subject in the morning, compose, calligraph, and illuminate a
text on that subject. This may be done individually or as a team.

Riddle Me This:
Write and perform a riddle in any style.

I Fear They’ll Go on All Night:
We’ve heard of stranded travelers passing the time by swapping stories
at an inn.  Suppose you were one of the staff and not part of the tale
telling.  In song, story, or poem; tell us what you think of all this.


Challenge General Rules

- Challenges are not contests. You win by entering and striving to do
   the best you can.
- Challenges are designed to encourage you to try your hand at something
   new, to stretch yourself, to enjoy, and to celebrate the creative
   spirit.
- Read the guidelines for the challenges carefully, like most exercises,
   they are designed to help you develop in specific areas. Try to follow
   them as closely as you can, but stretching them in unexpected
   directions is good too.
- Individuals are welcome and encouraged to give recognition to those
   performers whom they especially enjoy.
- In order to allow the largest number of people to participate,
   challenge entries shall be limited to five minutes or less. Each
   person may enter a maximum of one piece in each challenge and a
   maximum of eight challenges.



Bibliography

     * Beowulf
     * Bulfinch's Mythology
     * The Canterbury Tales
     * The Decameron
     * The Mabinogion
     * The Odyssey
     * The Pentameron
     * Tales from the Arabian Nights











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