Sir Andrew Baird ~ Fall 2018

Sir Andrew Baird

Englyn Penfyr

Crucible tests the mettle of a man:

            Byzantium sent its best

            The crown of Caid to wrest.

Crucible tests the mettle of a man:

            Cold Wintermist’s martial lord

            Bested the bee with his sword.

Crucible tests the mettle of a man:

            A reremouse from Calafi

            Likewise took apart the bee.

Crucible tests the mettle of a man:

A baron hight Killian

Gave Sir Andrew his first win.

Crucible tests the mettle of a man:

            Who lost to Tiberius,

            A knight just as furious.

Crucible tests the mettle of a man:

            A baron from Gyldenholt

            Fell eric-ward with a jolt.

Crucible tests the mettle of a man:

            Though the bee did not advance

            Sir Andrew Baird made his stance.

~ Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

...weaver of words and wadmal

Duke John at Gwyndaf of Holdingford

Duke John ap Gwyndaf of Holdingford

(Shakespearean Sonnet)

A knight from Holdingford came to Caid

The Crown to win by might and martial skill.

A brace of bears to slay e'er he proceed

To knock a raven from the sky to kill.

Duke John surveyed the field with spirits high,

The ground awash in blood and target rich.

The better to display his skill and ply

His swordsmanship to scratch a Royal itch.

But now the stakes are raised for Holdingford;

The battle of the dukes a mighty fray.

First Mansur drove John to the bloody sward

Then Patrick put paid to John's tourney day.

The Royal fight advanced as day wore on.

Twined rosemary enwreaths another one.

Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

...an empty vessel for the Muse

Alsander Bardon ~ villanelle

Alsander Bardon


(villanelle)

Alsander Bardon

The meremouse flits in search of prey

Sounding out the target-rich field.

Contenders clash to gain the day.

Sable crescent joins in affray;

The wing’d bat forces him to yield.

And meremouse flits in search of prey.

Three bears cuff the bat away;

A weakness of meremouse revealed.

Contenders clash to gain the day.

A battle axe attempts to slay,

But easily the bat has wheeled.

The meremouse flits in search of prey.

A castle strong stands in his way

And forces bat at last to yield.

Contenders clash to gain the day.

The field was fierce in martial play;

The bat knocked to the battlefield.

The meremouse flit in search of prey;

Contenders clashed to gain the day.

--Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

...weaver of words and wadmal.

Lord William Ulfsson

Lord William Ulfsson

(verse in iambic pentameter)

A pack of wolves came hunting ~ green and gold

A’flash across the verdant battle field ~ they spy

A hunting horn, three paw prints in the wold

And run to ground Bjorn, who fell thereby.

An eagle in a cedar tree took flight

The snapping pack to harry, but alas

It flew too low ‘til wolves could snatch a bite

And Eowyn’s Jamal fell to the grass.

Likewise a hare came bounding ‘cross the field

And charged the pack of wolves in feverish mien.

The rabid rabbit quit the battlefield;

A wolven midday snack was Snorri’s bane.

Alexander’s golden hippo spied

The pack of wolves a’frisking on the lawn.

Tooth and claw met armored hippo hide;

The river horse dispatched them with a yawn.

Undaunted, Liam’s pack shook off the loss:

Eyed a sloth in arboreal repose.

Alas, Sven proved a fractious foe to cross

And brought the wolf’s son’s tourney to a close.

Like stars, three dragonflies encircle him

As Aesa plies her loving, healing balm.

Crown Tourney Day has ended now for Liam

Who did acquit himself with great aplomb.

--Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

...an empty vessel for the Muse

Sir Omar ibn Haroun Al-Askari Al-Rumi

Sir Omar ibn Haroun Al-Askari Al-Rumi
fallen in Spring Crown Tourney, A.S.

(sonnet)

A soldier of the Byzantine set forth

Across the Levant bound for distant lands.

To win a kingdom for his fair Katrin

He braved sirocco winds and burning sands.

Sir Omar crossed snow fields and storm-tossed seas

As foreign to his nature as the stars

That led him ever onward to his goal:

A kingdom he might gift his paramour.

Caid is such a land whose throne is won

By one who bests the best who fight this day.

Beset by Vikings: Snorri, Haldorr, Sven

He bested one, then fell in mortal fray.

No accolades, no wreath of rosemary.

But Omar lives to fight another day.

-- Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

...a weaver of words and wadmal.

Dobby Is Free!

I am now officially not the editor of the fighter poems anymore.  Twenty-five years (50 books) is enough I think.  Paul fitz Denis will do a fine job I'm sure.  Best of luck to him.

Ambrose Wyld ~ Pantoum

Ambrose Wyld

(Pantoum)

Immortal Scotsman, Ambrose hight,

A challenge to the ground did fling

Upon the tourney field to fight

Agrippa, once and future king.

A challenge to the ground did fling,

His swordsman’s skill to put to test

Agrippa, once and future king;

Alas, Agrippa proved the best.

His swordsman’s skill he put to test

For Lady Apollonia.

Alas, Agrippa proved the best;

For Ambrose, catatonia.

The Lady Apollonia

Foresaw this outcome from Delphi:

First Ambrose, catatonia;

Then rise he would, fates to defy.

She saw this outcome from Delphi.

Ancient skills she wove by design:

Rise he does, his fate to defy.

Ambrose next will face Byzantine.

Ancient skills woven by design

Can only glimpse what fates portend.

Ambrose faces the Byzantine.

His tourney day comes to an end.

She only glimpsed what fates portend

Upon the tourney field of fight.

His tourney day came to an end;

Immortal Scotsman, Ambrose hight.

Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

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

Fall Crown Tourney '16