scyllacat: (Default)
scyllacat ([personal profile] scyllacat) wrote2007-07-22 07:36 pm
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Ow. Thud.

I've had a very involved weekend. I actually made a couple of new friends, and enjoyed meeting the Meridian Torch, Baron Alexander, who taught one of my heraldry classes. I spent time at the heraldic consultation table, which is where I made the new friend, although I also have pictures of several new acquaintances in my camera.

By the way, I find uploading pictures to LiveJournal tedious, so, for the most part, they'll be at Flicker.com/scyllacat. But they're not up yet! Don't go!

It's true, if you go to court enough times, eventually you'll understand what's going on at court! Our seneschal, Marie, and her husband, with whom I am not as familiar (since he's not sitting next to me at meetings), were made a Court Baron and Baroness. One of my new heraldic friends got his Award of Arms. Awards don't mean anything outside of the SCA, but they are presumably given for merit. Anyone can show up, and anyone can pay their membership fee and get a card, but the Society exists on teaching and working together, so your service to the group is what gets notice. There's a complete order of precedence, which, as a new Herald, is on my list of things to study up on. But the most notable landmarks are A) getting an Award of Arms, which is usually a service award that basically says, you've consistently shown up and are working and learning; B) Becoming a protege, squire, or apprentice, which means you've been chosen by someone in one of three branches, Pelicanate, Chivalry, or Laurelate, to become their student; C) being named Pelican, Knight, or Laurel, (these are administrative, fighting, and arts&sciences specialties, respectively) D) Being named a Court Baron, which means you're officially a member of the Royal Court, I guess... I'm not as clear on what you get to do.:)

There's many, many others -- including service awards for dancing, teaching, costuming, research, etc. I can't even remember them all. Heck, I can't remember everything that was given out in court this time! And, since it was the Royal University Meridies, those who had completed an entire set of courses received Scholarly Recognition as befit them.

While I was talking to the consulting Herald, he asked me if my name were registered. I said no, he said, would you like to? He even loaned me $2 and change to complete the fee for doing so. I'm not surprised he received his Award of Arms. That's the kind of thing SCA is about. So, if it is approved, I will officially be Lucia di Padua. Simply, Lucy from Padua. But Lucia means light, also illumination, which is one of my interests, and Padua in the 13th c. (which is, roughly, my time period as chosen) was the site of a University, still there today, founded by scholars seeking intellectual freedom, another interest of mine, as you might guess. But I got tired of trying to find a "just right," too complicated, too-hard-to-document name. This is good.

My travels to and fro were little worth speaking of. I missed out on feast, so drove off to Waffle House for about a gallon of coffee and a patty melt. I made up for the shortcomings foodwise today after helping with the Starbridge Workday. Logan made chicken and hamburgers and hotdogs and I ate both chicken and hamburgers with two helpings of watermelon and mixed fruit. No bread, no chips, but I did have a Coke on the way home.

Before lunch I spent a good amount of time whacking the weeds around the square field where the music stage is. Then I put Round-Up on the rest of them. My arms are still annoyed at me and wondering what I have done.

After lunch, Logan let us have a "sneak peak" of 4 tracks from the new Emerald Rose album. Sweet. I laughed aloud at "Danny in the Jar."

And I've done the first listen on the last 25 reports of transcription. So, I've gotten over the first bit of the last bit: That part where I dread opening up the sound file and discovering it's mush. There's no more mush, as far as I can tell.

It's already 7:30, though, and I don't know how much more I'll do tonight. I may bed early in order to start bright and early, but... tomorrow is the LAST day of classwork. *deep breath* DON'T PANIC.

While I was gone, Charlie received the last HP and has already read it. So it's just sitting there, waiting for me.... Damn.

[identity profile] peteyfrogboy.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
A couple of little comments:

Despite the many traditions involved in the process, the Peer-associate relationship (squire/protege/apprentice) is completely unofficial and is not part of the SCA award structure or precedence. It is a major milestone in many people's SCA career, though it is not a required or necessary part of the game.

The Court Barony is an unusual sort of award, given for many different reasons. The connotations of the award vary greatly from kingdom to kingdom.

You can always add a family surname later if you find one you like. I think that the proper formation of the locative surname would be "Lucia da Padua", but you may be able to do it both ways.

[identity profile] scyllacat.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 12:52 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I kinda knew that, but it's always "court business," even if it's not on paper. And Lord knows folks are picky enough about their belt colors you'd think it was writ of law.

And I do not claim to give any kind of official anything, just the kind of "landmarks" one has in a long and presumably prosperous Society life. Perhaps I should go ahead and ask Mr. Pratt for a nice disclaimer, if I should be so bold as to keep talking about such things here. ;)

[identity profile] scyllacat.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
Also, yeah, the two opinions I got before yours said "di," but we had no Intarwebs at the site, so we went left it that way with permission to change it to make it proper, if their documentation says it's not right.

And if I find a suitable surname, I can re-register, right?

[identity profile] peteyfrogboy.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
You can re-register as often as you want, as far as I know, though in heraldic terms "often" means every 13 months, apparently. :)

[identity profile] justben.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 01:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Italian "di" == "of"; "da" == "from". Think Leonardo was "from" the small Tuscan town of Vinci. I can't speak for 14th century Padua, but by mid 15th century Florence people with any social standing were often Name di Fathersname Familyname. Andrea di Giovanni Bardi, for instance, is the name of a real person in the 1427 census ("catasto (http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/catasto/)") of Florence. You can tell from her name that she was part of the household of Giovanni Bardi. Leonardo's full name was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci -- Leonardo, son of Mr Piero from Vinci.

As I said, I can't speak authoritatively for 13th century Padua. A little googling and Wikipedia browsing, however, suggests that Marchetto da Padova (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchetto_da_Padova) was the name of an early Trecento (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trecento) composer, born in late 13th century Padua. Wikipedia is obviously not an official source for heralds, but at least it hints that you're on the right track.

[identity profile] scyllacat.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 03:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah! That makes sense. Well, we shall see what the folkses in charge of names say of it. It could very well come back that they have approved the name as CHANGED to "Lucia da Padua." And I may add a family name in time... As of yet, I am much like myself... curious and like to wander.

[identity profile] matraia.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
I should find and show you my AoA sometime.

[identity profile] scyllacat.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
No, you shouldn't, I'll start putting little metal circlets on your head.

[identity profile] matraia.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 10:45 am (UTC)(link)
Ahhh, but I don't know if the AoA transfers between kingdoms, see.

[identity profile] scyllacat.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 12:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah... I'm stumped.

[identity profile] matraia.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks for letting me know.

On another note, I think I know someone who knew you in the distant past. Do you remember a Martinus Draco Byzantios?

[identity profile] asbrand.livejournal.com 2007-07-24 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, yes... LONG time ago. :-D



-Az

[identity profile] matraia.livejournal.com 2007-07-24 10:53 am (UTC)(link)
He moved to Calontir and helped the College I was in get on its feet and become a mostly stable group. He's now living up in the Barony of Forgotten Sea (Kansas City). He told me that when I got to Meridies to look you up sometime. I'll have to start attending meetings again at some point.

[identity profile] scyllacat.livejournal.com 2007-07-24 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
You and Asbrand are both in Owl's Nest. Funny that you should be so close. (Az, are meetings still in the Marietta library?) [livejournal.com profile] sugared_redhead and [livejournal.com profile] grizzlydan are another couple of friends in that group (all the way up to Kingston, other side of Cartersville from you). You'll be amongst MY people as well as SCA people, and so that's doubly good. :)

[identity profile] xirtam50.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
Lucia di Padua...I like it, It simple and pretty. And folks won't screw it up.

Then again I thought Thora Ottardottir was fairly simple but have been known and called Thora OttErdaughter (make it rhyme!) for oh nearly 20 years:)(My AOA had a big otter on it!)

...so does my headband.

..so does my pouch

..and a few necklaces.... Ok I kinda ran with it:)

Hee! Otters! and then....

[identity profile] scyllacat.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
*giggles*

You'd think so. Already I have had people trying to change which vowel of Padua has the emphasis, and of course, then there's the Loo-SEE-ah versus Loo-CHEE-ah school. I'm sure if I'm ever called into court, it will turn out like LOOCH-ya d'pa-DOO-ah, and I'll be looking around going "Huh" and someone will have to kick me in the shin.

"My name is Lucia di Padua," and I pronounce it 'Loo-CHEE-ah d'PA-dyu-ah.'"

At least until the NEXT person tells me what I missed.

[identity profile] cryo.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 09:28 am (UTC)(link)
mmm waffle house.

[identity profile] asbrand.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 01:29 pm (UTC)(link)
I got my AoA in 1991 or so.

Got my GoA (Grant of Arms) in 2002 or so.

Those are the only 2 awards I've ever received in the SCA. ;-)



-Az
aka "The Honourable Lord Asbrand of Norway"

[identity profile] scyllacat.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 03:14 pm (UTC)(link)
See, I knew this stuff would start as soon as I poked my head out.

Nobody ain't gotta do nuffin, and ain't bein' supposed to, and if I said it is should, our oughta be, I is a lie.

Or, in Society speak, I hasten to assure you that no one is being spoken of either specifically or in general as having any failure or lack. I apologize if I have offended by implication.

No speech of mine in this forum is meant to be official or specific to any SCA matter. Corpora law should be taken up with lawyers. I just yell loud. :D

[identity profile] ranmasal.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
If it makes you feel any better... I knew what you were talking about and in what context without the disclaimers...

[identity profile] scyllacat.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 05:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes. Yes, it does.