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What a Knight

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Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
December
Year
1985
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Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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Jeanne Hohman, left, and Jeff Skevington, in their full Elizabethan Wassail regalia

WHAT A KNIGHT!

Society for Creative Anachronism gets set for an Elizabethan Wassail this Sunday

By WHITLEY SETRAKIAN

NEWS ARTS WRITER

What has armor, duels, and graciously offers you a sumptuous, olde-tyme feast prepared by the Michigan Union Food Service? Simple. A knight in Ann Arbor.

This is not your ordinary knight, or even night, for those already peering through the pun, but an opportunity to flit back through the ages for one brief and shining moment, and enjoy this Sunday’s Elizabethan Wassail, brought to you by some of the folks at the Society for Creative Anachronism.

You won’t find the 16th century court of the Duke of Kirkleigh in any moldy history book. To the imaginative minds behind this event, it’s alive and well and living in . . . the Michigan Union Ballroom.

Participants in the Wassail (or winter celebration) will be transported in true Brigadoon style to a lost era in which they will enjoy a lavish repast featuring hot wassail (a kind of spiked cider), stuffed Cornish hens, flaming figgy pudding and other culinary delights of bygone days.

“The SCA is a national organization, started in California,” said Nanette Johnson, a long-time SCA member and one of the organizers of the Wassail. "We’re dedicated to recreating the Middle Ages. Instead of chapters, we have baronies and shires, in the kingdom structure, but it’s very tongue-in-cheek. Members want to learn about the feudal sustem.

“The whole crux is to create your own character who ‘lived’ between 600 and 1600 and to try to develop (him or her) by creating an historical person, an alter ego — we call it a 'persona.’ Every six months, we have a crown tourney to choose a king. This is earned by chivalry, honor and fighting techniques.”

Because Sunday’s event is not strictly an SCA-sponsored event, the current “king” of Ann Arbor, Joe Radding, is taking a somewhat lesser role and will be performing in a mime ballad, complete with singers and lutenist.

Further entertainment will be provided by jugglers, wandering minstrels, morris dancers and carolers.

Johnston stressed that people coming to the Wassail will not be stumbling upon a “private party” where only SCA members will be “in on the joke.

“These characters for the Wassail are different from the characters we usually play,” she said.

“Wassail is an old word meaning ‘good health.’ It’s not necessarily a Christian (idea),” Johnston said.

"The Druids and other pre-Christians had winter celebrations. We do try to be secular - certainly not everyone (involved) is Christian! Our winter celebration guests are invited to participate.”

Diners will have a chance to see some rather spectacular pageantry.

“A complete suit of armor will be worn by a person who will be knighted during the Wassail,” said Johnston. The knighting ceremony, in which his grace, the Duke of Kirkleigh, will bestow upon his son the honor of knighthood is, according to Johnston, as historically accurate as possible. SCA members do exhaustive research into the customs, ceremonies, and lifestyles of the Middle Ages.

Johnston was equally effusive about the other, less metallic raiments which will will adorn the event’s presenters. “These costumes are all hand-made. They’re not just rented costumes, they’re real clothes, really a sight to behold with all their jewels . . We are dressing to enhance our imaginations, but our guests can wear whatever they want. They’re not expected to wear costumes.”

Though this is the first Elizabethan Wassail produced by Cynnabar, the Ann Arbor shire, its organizers are expecting a good turnout, and the yearly success of the Ann Arbor Medieval Festival suggests that Ann Arborites are often hungry for this sort of adventure. After all, how often does one get the chance to dine in candlelight, attended by liveried servants, and surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells - well, not all the smells - of Elizabethan dinner theater?

The Ann Arbor branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism presents an Elizabethan Wassail, Sunday at the Michigan Union Ballroom. Doors open at 7 p.m.; dinner is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 ($15 for seniors and children under 12) and are available at the Michigan Union ticket office. Reservations may be made until noon Friday by calling 763-8587.