[MR] Beowulf Birthday Bash - Thanks from the autocrat

[Kelly Keck]

Good morning!

Yesterday, we had a wonderful Anglo-Saxon and Viking event in Dun Carraig.
Well, technically we had it just over the border in Storvik, at a site they
graciously let us use.

I want to thank everyone who made this event a success. I'm sure I'll
forget someone, and I apologize if I do.

Her Highness graced us with her presence at her first event as princess.

Their Excellencies Ragnarr and Lynette not only put on a court fitting the
event theme, but did tons of decorating, list-fence-lugging, and assorted
set-up and tear-down.

Master Cadfan, our head cook, put on an amazing feast, with the help of
Master Phillip, Elizabeth Redding, Baron Khadir, Lady Isolda, Richard
Poschet, and Mary Poschet (and probably some others I've missed). The feast
was fantastic not just for the food but also for the spectacle, including
music and recitation of passages from Beowulf by Mary and Richard.

Lady Serena took reservations and ran the troll table all day, as she does
at pretty much every event, with help from Baroness Amalia and Mia.

Our fantastic marshals, Baron Christopher macConnaig on the heavy side,
Lord Richard ffaukes on the rapier side, ran two very entertaining
tourneys. Chris also did tons of set up and clean-up and served as a highly
entertaining voice herald any time I needed announcements made.

Lord Karl and Master Jonathas put on a fantastic archery shoot, despite
Karl's son having been in the ER last week. (Thanks also to Penny for
emergency backup target coloring.)

Baroness Dialla and Mikjall ran the thrown weapons range, including running
a lot of throws for the children. Look out world, Dun Carraig's kids are
armed! This also completes Mikjall's thrown weapons MIT.

Lady Ysane worked on set-up and tear-down.

Mistress Ceridwen not only ran the MOL table, but also worked set-up and
tear-down.

Sir Harald and Sir Theron both did tons of heavy lifting with set-up and
teardown of the list fence.

Baron Kris (which I hope I spelled right) ran a period games table,
bringing his huge assortment of period games and rules.

Lady Teleri provided a wonderful performance of poetry and harp music,
taught a class on Old English poetry, and contributed about half the
contents of the A&S display, in everything from period games to poetry to a
lyre.

Mistress Molly also taught a fantastic class on Norse stereotypes. So much
for horned helmets and dirty Vikings. And somehow, yet again, she ended up
being the one to clean the bathrooms.

Gwenllian ran Newcomer's Point and showed off her weaving.

The new banners that decorated the hall were made possible by the hard work
and artistic skill of Elizabeth, Cadfan, Gwenllian, Matthew, and others.

My amazing husband, Lord Matthew of Summerdale, made the site token beads,
set up, tore down, worked on banners, and reminded me to breathe.

(Apologies to those who see this twice, or three or four times on Facebook.
I wanted to make sure it isn't missed.)

YIS,
Lady Adriana Michaels
Autocrat, Dun Carraig Baronial Birthday