Event Information
Canterbury Faire AS49 was held over Monday 19th to Saturday 24th January, 2015. It was held at The Boys Brigade Waipara (45-60 minutes from Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand) and it ran for 6 days. The event steward this year was The Honourable Lord Richard D’Allier. The official Canterbury Faire website, updated each year, is hosted by the Barony of Southron Gaard.
The event token for this event was a small leather book for writing notes in.
The t-shirt and bag design for this year was a black and white design relating to ‘The Mong’ (i.e. the permanent coffee stand called The Mangy Mongol).
The event timetables were as follows:
The approximate site map for the event, obtained from the official event page, is below:
Around the Site
Each and every morning, members of Draco Viridis (a household also known as the Green Dragons) baked fresh on site a large quantity of honey apple spice buns and sold them for two gold each. They were definitely a favourite breakfast item for Faire goers.
The Mangy Mongol, commonly referred to as “The Mong”, served Turkish coffee shots in small ceramic cups with unique and amusing slogans on them. For example, one of the cups said “My name is Inigo Montoya, you drank my coffee, prepare to die”.
Up near the bunkrooms, Master Brian di Caffa placed a water fountain that also functioned as a sun dial, tracked the cycles of the moon and the movement of the Southern Cross constellation.
The Markets
The Gypsy Market and two full markets were held throughout the event with a wide range of wares available.
Heavy Combat
Heraldic Heavy Tournament
On Monday afternoon, a Heraldic Heavy Tournament was held. Each fighter was assigned one life, and gained extra lives for each extra heraldic extravagance they added to the tournament. For example, a life was added for a heraldic tabard, heraldic shield, banners, torse and mantle, and other such things.
There were approximately 16 entrants into the tournament and, after 11 rounds, the finals were fought between Sir Vitale Giustiniani and Master Grim of Thornby. Sir Vitale was the ultimate victor.
Polearms Tournament
On Tuesday afternoon, a polearms tournament was held. The victor was Sir Vitale Giustiniani.
Fighter Auction Tournament
On Wednesday afternoon, a Fighter Auction Tournament was held. The Fighter Auction was run as a silent auction where bidders did not know whom they were buying until after they were successful in purchasing a fighter. The victor on the day was Sir Philippe de Tournay.
Woods Battle
On Thursday, a Woods Battle was held whereby fighters progressed through the woods attacking and defending a series of choke points.
War
Wars were held throughout the event, including Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoon. These wars were often held in front of the fort and included both heavies and combat archers.
Gods and Monsters Tournament
This tournament was described on the event website as “The Pinnacle of Prowess at Canterbury Faire – come gather and watch doughty fighters contend against brave foes presenting a pantheon of Gods and Monsters of antiquity.”
Fighters put on a persona of a God or a Monster and could not be killed in the conventional way – only the weakness of their persona could kill them (for example, if a fighter was Superman, perhaps the fatal weakness was using something green).
Rapier
White Scarf Offered
On Wednesday morning before the Wounds Tournament, Their Majesties Kinggiyadai and Altani ran a pop-up court and invited Mistress Lindoret of Bryn Myrddin (a Provost in Lochac’s Guild of Defence) to join the Order of the White Scarf of Lochac. Mistress Lindoret accepted and has elected to be elevated at Rowany Festival AS49 (2015).
Guild Prize
On Thursday afternoon, Lady Anna de Wilde successfully fought her Free Scholars Prize in the form or rapier and dagger under the sponsorship of Don Emrys Tudur and the on-the-day guidance of Journeyman Ludwig von Regensburg.
Inaugral Rapier Recipient of the Red Wyvern
The Red Wyvern is Lochac’s grant level combat award, typically bestowed to heavy combatants. At Canterbury Faire AS49, history was made with Their Majesties Kinggiyadai and Altani bestowing Lochac’s inaugral rapier recipient of this award to the now Honourable Lord Ludwig von Regensburg.
Rapier Melee
On Monday morning, approximately 12 fencers competed in several melees. One of the scenarios saw a 6 v 6 battle that pitted the ladies against the lords.
Cut and Thrust Tournament
On Tuesday afternoon, a Cut and Thrust tournament was held in the glade list field. The tournament ran for seven rounds, and Don Gomez De Crecy was the ultimate victor of the tournament.
Wounds Tournament
On Wednesday morning, a wounds tournament was held. Combatants fought 5 rounds where they faced an opponent for 90 seconds and attempted to make as many hits as possible in that time (with a reset after each hit). Hits to the head were awarded 2 points, hits below the knee were awarded 3 points and hits anywhere else where awarded 1 point.
The winner was calculated by subtracting the points you scored for against your opponents by the points that were scored against you (i.e. the aim was to strike your opponents as much as possible whilst also recieving as few hits as possible).
The victor of this tournament was Lord James of Southron Gaard.
Baronesses Rapier Tournament
The Baronesses Rapier Tournament was held on Friday morning, sponsored by the Baroness of Southron Gaard – Baroness Isabel Maria del Aguila. The rules of the list were no blade grasping and no hits below the knee. It was a double elimination tournament with the initial three rounds were run as best of threes and subsequent rounds (excluding the finals) run as single kills.
The victor of the tournament was Don Gregory Tortouse de Sloleye, who won convincingly (not dropping a single round). Don Gregory was presented with the perpetual sword trophy of the annual tournament charged to hold until next year where the tournament would be recontested.
Archery
Target Archery Results
Many target archery competitions were held throughout the event, and the winners announced in Closing Court were as follows:
- Royal Round: Lord Darius (period division) and Lord Jean le Horner (open division).
- Hunt in the Woods: Robin of Southron Gaard.
- Challenge Shoot: The Mongols team thrashed the Franks team. Lord Jean le Horner was named the best open division archer on the day and Simon of Cluain was named the best period division archer on the day.
- Period Shoot: Lord Jean le Horner (shortbow) and Master Edward Braythwayte (longbow).
Thorfyrd’s arrow
Each year at Canterbury Faire, a combat archery tournament is held and the victor is presented with the perpetual trophy of Thorfyrd’s Arrow.
The tournament involves combat archers being assigned a heavy combatant each and they shoot at the opponents heavy. It was a double elimination tournament.
Lady Angele Marie de Savigny, who was originally eliminated after round two but resurrected by Their Majesties (from a life donated by TH Lord Richard D’Allier, who had to exit early for steward business), was the victor on the day.
The Ball
On the Friday night, a fancy ball was held in the hall at the top of the hill. It consisted of live musicians, three sets of dances, a light supper with cordials, a tassel kicking competition and some elegant dance demonstrations.
Arts and Sciences
A wide range of Arts and Sciences classes were held throughout the event, ranging from heraldry to leatherwork to sewing to puppets to mechanisms and mazes. The timetable is available at the top of this page under ‘Event Information’.
Childrens Activities
A variety of childrens activities were run throughout the event, with the timetable available at the top of this page under ‘Event Information’.
One these activities was the Childrens Boffer Tournament with various perpetual trophies being handed to children who entered, including Harry’s Helm (an award given for chivalry, named in honour of an enthusiastic page who was taken too young).
Have-A-Go
On Thursday morning, have-a-go stations were set up for people to try their hands at heavy combat, rapier combat and archery. It ran for two hours and allowed people a hands-on go at activities they may not have had the chance to try before. A large number of people enthusiastically attended these various stations.
Court
During the various Courts held throughout the event, Altani Yeke Khatan was delighted to induct many younglings into the Hordelings (i.e. the temporarily renamed Mouse Guard).
During Closing Court, a number of perpetual Canterbury Faire trophies were handed out.
- The best campsite trophy was awarded to Master Járnulfr Þórólfsson, head of the Artisans Quarter. The trophy is a bottle of Baileys (a play on the phrase ‘better keeps and baileys’), which the campsite is charged to drink and return next year with a full bottle to award to their campsite of choice.
- The brewers mash paddle for the best brew was won by Mistress Rohesia le Sarjent.
- The bardic cup for best entertainment was given to Mistress Rowan Perigrynne and Lord Nicodemus Novello for their hilarious and entertaining puppet shows.
Not to be beaten by his efforts at Twelfth Night, Kinggiyadai Khagan continued to entertain the populace with His word play. For example, when presented with the Royal Taxes of a bag of salt from the Shire of Darton to allow them to continue hunting the King’s deer, He responded with “This is the kind of assault We like. It’s not too dear. We shall savour it… I can’t help myself…”
