Sir Edward Castleguard ~ Spring'19

Sir Edward Castleguard

(embellished awdl)

Silver wing’ed mythic beast

Eagle claws and lion feet

Climbs the sky with every beat,

Searching for a battle meet:

Win by right a regal seat

Comes Edward Castleguard.

From the vale of azure hue

Verdant islands ringed in blue

Good sir knight and lady true:

Mistress Krystyan del la Poole

And Edward Castleguard.

Answering the heralds’ call

Doughty fighters one and all

Crescent crown holds each in thrall;

Come to dance a martial brawl

Has Edward Castleguard.

Lighting on the field of play

Basking in Crown Tourney day

Eager now to join the fray

Claws a’click to flench his prey

Stands Edward Castleguard.

Master Christian de Guerre

Takes the eric with a flair

Sporting shoes of azure rare.

Griffin swooping from the air

Snatching, snarfs the blue footwear!

Grins Edward Castleguard.

Bounding forth a bullock Or

Bellowing a mighty roar

Shakes most foremen to the core.

Swooping, tramples bull to gore

Does Edward Castleguard.

Duke Mansur of Araby

Horseman of the Cavalry

Spies the griffin gleefully;

Hooves that beat a timpani

Cross the eric sending scree

O’er Edward Castleguard.

Dazed, a’wobble, takes the sky

Griffin with a mighty cry

Challenges an eagle high;

Sharp claws strike and feathers fly!

Sir Jamal whose end is nigh

By Edward Castleguard.

Buoyed by this turn of fate

Basking in his happy state

Thirst for blood he plans to sate:

Lays a snare a sloth to bait

Does Edward Castleguard.

Sven the sloth is deadly fast

With his sinister reach vast

Lo the battle die is cast

Thwack! And griffin breathes his last

Poor Edward Castleguard.

Krystyan’s truelove’s day is done

Soared too high and touched the sun;

Crown goes to another one.

Ending now his tourney run

It sure was a lot of fun!

Smiles Edward Castleguard. 

--Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

...is a 15th century Burgundian wool merchant who thinks she's a 10th century Viking weaver.

Baron Rudolf Fekter ~ awdl gywyth

Baron Rudolf Fekter
fallen in Fall Crown Tourney, A.S. L.

(awld gywydd)

Dancing on an errant breeze--

Flit and freeze and dart and play--

Butterfly with iron heart

Come and start your tourney day.

Alejandro hopes to flick

Pesky insect from the field--

Bat and swat and shoo away--

Rudolf stays; Castillo yields.

Amicia has taken hope--

Eric's rope confines her fears

As Sir Mons strides to the fray.

Rudolf sways; Amicia tears.

Sweetest nectar from the flower,

In her bower, Amicia tends

Rudolf's wounds.  His soul takes wing!

A tender thing, his heart mends.

Once more to the eric fly,

Butterfly, and take your stand.

Killian, a trenchant knight,

Wins the fight in battle grand.

Poor, bedraggled butterfly

Made a try for Caid's crown.

Amicia will soothe your brow,

Rest for now; you've gained renown.

— Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

... weaver of words and wadmal.

Fall Crown'15

THLord Bryan Gard Yale

THLord Bryan Gard Yale
fallen in Summer* Crown Tourney, A.S. XXIV

(awld gywydd)

Day dawns hot and clear and bright.
All delight in pageantry.
Colors bold and pennants rare
Fill the air with bijoutry.

Ericward strides Bryan Yale
Fighter hale with sword and shield.
Like his namesake beast of old
Makes so bold to claim the field.

Warrior maiden, duchess, knight,
A fighter hight Kolfinna
Smiles yet declines to move
And proves to be the winner.

Bryan rises from the dust.
He must continue questing.
His eyes alight on Miriel,
His swelling heart attesting.

He challenges Sir Ragnar,
Their sparring proves a good brawl.
He fights well, but takes a hit.
Alas it is his downfall.

Bryan Yale and Miriel
A fond farewell accord all.
Jubilant without a care
Repair now to their great hall.

--Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

...a weaver of words and wadmal.

THLord Jamal Damien Marcus - Fighter Poem - awdl

THLord Jamal Damien Marcus
fallen in Fall Crown Tourney, A.S. XXXIII

(embelished awdl)

From the land of Cedars tall
Came the eagle hight Jamal
To the land where beauty's call
Snared his heart to love's enthrall
For lovely Amberdrake.

Hour after lonely hour
Perched atop his Cedar bower
While his thoughts grew dark and dour
And his taste for life grew sour
Helpless in fair beauty's power
Fixed his eyes upon the tower
Of aeried Amberdrake.

Stately in her might and mane
Mistress of her own domaine
Wings that beat to love's refrain
While they scoured the sky of rain
The awesome Amberdrake.

How to catch her eye? he thought
What great bauble could be brought
What amazing treasure wrought?
High and low the eagle sought
To flatter Amberdrake.

But what jewel could e'er aspire
To match the color of her fire
And fan the flames of love's desire
Lest it spark disdain and ire
In fiery Amberdrake?

Then it came to him in need -
He must do a daring deed
Win the throne of all Caid
To present his case and plead
His troth to Amberdrake.

High into the air he flew
Where the sky was barely blue
And the world took on the hue
Of golden Amberdrake.

Feeling that he faced his doom
And his heart would fairly swoon
Boldly did he beg a boon
Of favored Amberdrake.

Musing on Jamal's request
Thinking he must speak in jest
She plucked a scale plate from her breast
And made to him a grand bequest
That he could fight on the behest
Of graceous Amberdrake.

Feeling that his heart might break
Or his pinions fail and quake
He swore to fight for honor's sake
For regal Amberdrake.

So the eagle came to ground
Where all the fighters of renown
Fore gathered on the field of Crown
And took his fate and cast it down
To fight for Amberdrake.

First to face the eagle's skill
Was the champion of Rhael
Madog was Jamal's first kill
Hoisted on the eagle's quill
Bringing to his heart a thrill
Of hope for Amberdrake.

Next an eorl crossed his path
And the eagle faced the wrath
Of an aardvark with an axe
Who attacked with great dispatch
The champion of Amberdrake.

As Jamal lay on the field
While the sky around him reeled
Thinking that his fate was sealed
He could not bring himself to yield
His dreams for Amberdrake.

As his claws to hope did cling
Suddenly his ears did ring
And his heart did swell and sing
At a most amazing thing
Around him beat the golden wing
Of mighty Amberdrake.

Buoyed by this draught of air
His foul prospects turned to fair
And bold Jamal could once more bear
To strive for Amberdrake.

Onto the field did bound a hart
As white as snow and quick to start
Which gave the eagle strenth of heart
To try to take this foe apart
To please his Amberdrake.

But fate did not arrange it so
And fortune favored Whitehart's doe
As Jamal's heart was wracked with woe
The mighty eagle was laid low
And left as fodder for the crow
Bereft of Amberdrake.

But just when hope was nearly gone
A vision 'lighted on the lawn
And dragon wings began to fawn
Their healing ministeries upon
Jamal who knew the heart he'd won
Of tender Amberdrake.

-- Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

...an empty vessel for the Muse

Sir Ciaran MacDarragh - Fighter Poem - awdl

Sir Ciaran MacDarragh
fallen in Fall Crown Tourney, A.S. XXXIII

(awdl)

Ciaran took the field of play
On Autumnal Crown Tourney day
Amid the pennants flying gay
And nobles in their fine array
To see if his skills would hold sway
And keep all challengers at bay
Through fight on fight in battle fray

Paganus was first
Come to do his worst
In arch'ry well-versed
In this battle cursed
His heart fairly burst

Duryn the Red Baron
Came to fight Ciaran
Blows that should hit square on
Didn't work for Duryn

Ciaran's Lady Chretienne took heart
Her champion had made a gallant start
How powerful to strike, how quick to dart
In battle he could take his foes apart
But sweetest dreams can turn to bitter tart

Dietrich was the next to fight
Dressed in colors blue and white
Few could face the Teuton knight
And not feel his cold steel bite
Though it was an awesome sight
Sir Ciaran's hopes took flight
Giving Chretienne a fright

Ciaran bounded to the field
That one loss could not make him yield
As 'round the eric fighters reeled
Ciaran knew his fate was sealed

An aardvark with an axe
Ciaran-ward made tracks
He parried Garr's attacks
But finally grew lax
And paid the final tax

Crown Tourney Day has come and gone
The kingdom knows Tomuki won
The fights they fought were all in fun
And come the spring they'll fight anon

-- Pippin Skylark

...always tart and crisp