[Sca-cooks] A Bird Bath, or: what I did with herbs last weekend!

[Laura C. Minnick]

It occurred to me that several of you might be interested in hearing what I
did last weekend- I provided a full Vigil Bath for a very dear friend of
mine who was going to be elevated to the order of the Pelican in the
morning. This involved a large (130 gal) stocktank (vinyl, not galvanized.
Eyuew!), about 50 gallons of water, my pavilion and poster frame, and
several hours of research to recreat the ceremonial that I had written last
time I did this several years ago, but somehomw did not have a copy of, so... 

Aleyn is one of the senior members of the local Hospitallers, so they
rounded up all of their water cans, filled them the night before, and left
them in the sun all day. When we poured the bath about 9 pm, the water was
perfect.

Lessee...

I set up the poster bed frame inside my pavilion, but didn't put the bed
inside. Instead I covered the area with rugs and set the tub up against one
of the long sides of the bed frame, which was against the back wall of the
pavilion. Had all of the curtains up on the bedframe, and curtains between
the corners of the bed and the pavilion wals, so there was space to stash
things. I have two small folding tables, they fit exactly into the back
corners at the ends of the tub. Covered those with cloths, one candelabrum
each. The left hand one also got my pretty new Madonna statue (She is
'vaihrry naihce'). There was a nice period chair in the empty corner of the
frame, on the right, and on the left was the extra water, the basins and
ewers, the rosewater, etc. I laid several layers of white sheeting in to
line the tub, and then I stripped a whole bunch of fresh herbs into the
bottom- rosemary, sage, lemon balm, beards of fennel, and oregano flowers.
When we poured in the warm water it was really intense. And then I added
rosewater.

When we got everyone ready to go, my student Laurence, who is also a
Hospitaller, stood at the door and read this portion of the script (which
was sewn together from bits of texts including Geoffery de Charnay _Le
Livre de Chevalerie_, the anonymous Ordene de Chevalerie, _Ouevres de
Froissart_, and _Li Romans de Durmant le Galois_):

(before entering the bath)

     "Before you is the Bath of Courtesy and
Bounty. As you enter and dwell therein, reflect
on your need to cleanse your body henceforth,
from impurities of sin, and any dishonorable
ways of life~ you shall leave any such
impurities in the water, and as recalling the
baptism of infants, you will come out of the
water with clean conscience, emerging clean
and pure as an infant from the font."

Mavis snuck in and took pictures before Aleyn got into the water- I'm
hoping they turn out.

Aleyn stripped down and got into the tub, and I read the Pater Noster in
Latin.

Laurence read this portion as Aleyn bathed:

     "Think on these things as you ready
yourself for the vigil before you.

     As a Peer of the realm, you must be freed
from wickedness, so to win a place in Paradise.
     You must be willing to shed your blood in
defense of God, and of the Crown you serve.
     You must often contemplate your own
death, and thereby avoid pride.
     You must keep your body pure and avoid
liscentiousness.
     You must hasten to action with the love of
God and the honor of the Crown in your heart.
     You must preserve this inseperable pair of
virtues~ Justice and loyalty.
     And always be ready to return your soul
to God, rendering fair account for your
deeds."

I read the Ave Maria, and after washing his hair, the Credo.

Then, as Aleyn was leaving the bath and dressing in clean white clothes,
Laurence read:

     "Hold close these virtues: hardinesse or
courage, loyalty, and prowess. Be always
courteous and generous; be of fair speech.
Ferocious shall you be against evil, while frank
and debonair to friends."

When Aleyn was dressed, but before leaving the pavilion:

     "And now remember this: Every new peer
should make a good beginning. Remember
these words here tonight, and Godspeed you to
your new life."

With the candles and the steam and the warm water, and everything, Aleyn
said it was a most wonderful experience- and indeed made him feel as if he
was experiencing a part of the Middle Ages for real. And me? "Yippee!!"

And then we had to bail the tub. Hey- can't re-use the water if he's left
his sins in it! I dated the man! I know some of those sins! Encouraged him
in them even! ;-D)

Was great fun and a worthwhile experience. He cried. I cried. I cried some
more the next day during the ceremony. And then I had a nap!

'Lainie
bathmaiden to peers...

___________________________________________________________________________
"Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is
writing a book." -Cicero