[Northkeep] newbies tonight

[Etienne de St. Amaranth]

So, I'm getting emails asking who is Hiiam.

Hiiam showed up in Northkeep in the summer of 1995.  He started in the SCA as a heavy fighter and loved going to fighter practice and melee events most.  Like most newcomers, he had no SCA name when he started and was mostly called by his mundane name.  The Shire of Northkeep was starting to make moves towards becoming a barony.  But Northkeepers were not known in the kingdom for traveling and the rest of the kingdom was wondering how an insular group of people who never travelled could become a barony.  In fact, Northkeepers travelled a lot; they just never put up banners and ran around yelling "hey, look at us, we're from Northkeep".  Late that summer, to counter these misperceptions, several fighter had a phrase about Northkeep stenciled on their shields, helms, and I think some armor.

In the fall of 1995, Hiiam and his wife travelled out of kingdom with Alton and Viggen to a weekend war between the Baronies of Grey Niche (Memphis) in Meridies and the Three Rivers (St. Louis) in Calontir.  On the way, Viggen's cot flew out of the back of Alton's pickup and got run over by a semi.  All three fighters also bought "tire thumpers" which look a lot like the cudgels used by some Centurions today (although tire thumpers have a lead core).  This was Hiiam's first melee event.  Armor inspection and check-in went well.  They fought on the side of Calontir.  In one scenario involving boats, water, and a small isthmus or land bridge, the Calontir forces decided to put all of their warriors into the boats and conduct a Normandy style invasion of Meridies on the other side.  Since Ansteorrans are known for their fierceness, the three fighters were left to hold the isthmus against all comers while Calontir sailed over the water.  I'd like to say that Hiiam, Alton, and Viggen held the isthmus against insurmountable odds and a "300"-esque movie was being made in their honor; but they got mowed over like a tricycle playing chicken with a steamroller.

Within 3 weeks of that melee event, Hiiam fought in his first actual tournament, Namron Protectorate.  Two unforgettable memories of that event lock the October 1995 event in my mind forever.  First, this was the Protectorate held within a couple of weeks of the death of Baroness Caitlin Anna ni Sheanain, Baroness of Namron.  Her lord, Baron, and husband, Pepin, sat the event without her.  Everyone was somber and in shock and that makes for an unforgettable tournament.  

The second memory of that event, on a much less solemn note, was Hiiam getting the name "Hiiam".  In the midst of all of the solemnity, the Crown, etc., he was in line to see the list mistress with about four people ahead of him when he realized that the list mistresses were asking for SCA names to be announced in the tournament.  The thought that they called you by your SCA name had not even crossed his mind.  So as he got closer and closer to the list mistress, he got more and more panicked.  He was looking every which way for any idea, or a person he knew, to help get himself a name or out of the predicament.  Then his eyes settled on a pile of armor and arms from Northkeep and inspiration struck.  If you remember earlier in this tale, people thought Northkeep did not travel and the fighters had stenciled a phrase on a lot of stuff.  But they all apparently used the same stencil with the same slight flaw which kind of scrunched the first three words together.  So, when he reached the list mistress, that phrase became his name.  "I am Hiiam from Northkeep, known throughout the land for my generosity; see all of the fighters using my gear!"  So, Hiiam from Northkeep could fight, surrounded by fighters whose gear said "Hi I am from Northkeep (or HIIAM FROM NORTHKEEP).

So yes, I knew Hiiam and I remember how he got his name and I respectfully submit that I know his current name.

Respectfully,
 
Etienne