Come, join the Shires of Panther Vale and Mountain Freehold for a festive Yuletide celebration with fencing, fighting, feasting, puppetry and dancing!
Event Schedule
- 2:00 Site Opens – check in at Tracy Hall
- 2:45 Armor and Weapon Inspections for Armored and Rapier – Tracy Hall
- 3:00 Armored Holiday Prize Tourney and Rapier Holiday Prize Tourney – Tracy Hall
- 4:30 Armored and Rapier Holiday Prize Tourney Results and Awards – Tracy Hall
- 5:00 Potluck Feast, Featuring a Roast – NCC
- 5:30 Mathom Gift Exchange – NCC
- 6:30 “Mr. Punch is a Jolly … Good Fellow?” Puppet Show – Tracy Hall
- 7:00 Dancing Taught by Duchess Thyra Eiriksdottir – Tracy Hall
- 9:00 Site Closes
Holiday Prize Tourney – Heavy list and Fencing
The Holiday Prize Tourney is a variation of a ransom tourney. Each fighter will bring one prize, valued at $30 or less, and appropriate for use in the Society. That prize will add to a collection of wares that the Tourney participants will pick from, in descending order (winner picks first, second place picks second, etc).
Each fighter is given five tokens at the beginning of the tourney for their ransom, regardless of their Society rank or title. Fighting will follow normal SCA conventions. With each loss, however, the losing combatant must give up a token to the winning fighter. As long as a fighter still has a token they can continue to compete. When fighters are out of tokens they are eliminated from the tourney. The fighter with the most tokens at the end of the time period is the winner.
A Gallery will be present, and nobles are encouraged to bring a small item of esteem with which to bestow upon a noble combatant, should members be moved by acts of chivalry, heroism, display, or comportment. One does not need to be a consort to be a Gallery member, and all are encouraged to witness feats and join in the game.
Armor and weapon inspections commence at 2:45, with Tourney commencing at 3:00. At 4:30, the Tourney will end and ranking will be determined.
Mathom Gift Exchange
A mathom is a treasured object, usually of value, but for many of us in the Society, they’re more Tolkienesque.
The hobbits called mathoms those things that they were unwilling to throw away, but for which they no longer had use. Many of us have mathoms of fabric, patterns, feast gear, trinkets, books, and other items.
Bring a mathom for the gift table. During the feast, attendees will be invited to take an item from the gift table in the order of their participation. Those gentles who have been participants of the Society for a year or less will pick first, second-year participants next, and so on… until our honored elders take the last picks of the remaining mathoms. Mathoms are usually unwrapped, to better be picked.
Feast
No dayboard. Potluck feast for dinner, 5-7 pm. Please list what you plan to bring and don’t forget your feast gear!
In Yule tradition, Feast will be a potluck dinner. Panther Vale will provide a roast; please bring a dish to accompany it. With your dish, please provide an ingredients list for people with dietary restrictions.
This is a dry site.
“Mr Punch is a Jolly…Good Fellow?” Puppet Show performed by Lady Flann
Join in with a little bit of naughty or nice Punch and Judy merriment as M’lady Flann and friends guide us through delightful misadventures of Mr. Punch, his wife Judy, and a most merry band of mischievous friends. Puppets and puppeteers will invite your participation in telling the tale, and much laughing and singing – off-key all the better – will ensue. By tales’ end, you will be so glad you met jolly Mr. Punch!
Dancing
There will be dancing! Bring soft-soled shoes or prepare to dance in socks or bare feet. We have two violinists and all dances will be taught and called.
We are dancing to:
- Cassandra Bransle
- Pinagay Bransle
- Rufty Tufty
- Heart’s Ease
- Lorayne Alman
- Anello
- Fedelta
- Petit Riens
- Black Nag
- Ly Bens
Event Steward
Lady Laura Flintbrook
(Laura Hamilton)
802-485-8876
Registration
- Adult $15
- Adult SCA Member $10
- Age 6-17 $5
- Age 0-5 free
Make checks payable to SCA, Inc., Shire of Panther Vale
Send reservations to reservations@panthervale.eastkingdom.org
or mail to:
Yule % Judi Tazelaar
642 West Street
Brookfield VT 05036
Newcomers
Gold Key (loaner garb) will be available at Yule! If you need to borrow any garb, please email Panther Vale’s chatelaine to let her know. It’ll help her choose which types and sizes of garb to bring.
Location
From I-91 Norwich/Hanover exit (exit 13): turn west off the ramp (right from the north, left from the south) and drive 1/2 mile into Norwich. Tracy Hall is the brick building on the far corner of the green, next to the white Congregational Church.
There’s parking in front of the church on Church Street, along Main Street (Route 5), and behind Tracy Hall, where you can also find handicapped parking and access.