I HAVE TRIED to gather here a complete list of every official event ever put on by my home Shire of Smythkepe, along with a few unofficial activities that I personally found memorable (and could pin down). This is a fairly bare-bones listing, without a great deal of detail, but I hope it can be expanded in the future. Unlike other topics in SCAdia, I've created this page as much for myself as anyone; I can't keep all these events straight any more.
In many cases, autocrat and feastocrat information has been retrieved from old flyers, so it may not reflect last-minute changes (especially regarding feastocrats, as I steer away from kitchens as I would torture chambers). If anyone has more complete or more accurate information about any event listed here (or knows about an event that I completely omitted [or knows the actual date of Lady Sine's High Persona Feast in AS XXV or XXVI]), please contact me!
with a date on the official Kingdom calendar and (usually) published flyers.
parties, moots, gatherings, or other significant dates.
PLEASE NOTE that this list is dependent on my perfectly rotten memory for dates and names (naturally, I became a herald). If someone is miscredited, mistitled, or omitted altogether, I apologize and will correct the error when notified. Also, note that this roster is prepared from my highly individual viewpoint. If there seems an over-emphasis on quests, for instance, it's because I sometimes saw little else of the event.
December 31, AS XXI (1986), Somebody's living room, Fort Smith, Arkansas
The Shire of Smythkepe was born at a New Year's Eve party twenty years and eight months after the birth of the Society. While waiting for midnight, three people—THL Arianwen ferch Hari, Lord Willem Cleburne, and Lord Dylan Smallewoode, all former members of the Shire-March of Grimfells in Calontir—decided to create a new group. (Or was it four people?) They adapted their town's mundane name and formed the Shire-March of Smythkepe. Today we traditionally celebrate the Shire's birthday at midnight on New Year's Eve.
December 3, AS XXIII (1988), Heritage United Methodist Church, Van Buren, Arkansas
Autocrat:
Feastocrat: THL Arianwen ferch Hari
This was the first true event of Smythkepe, held during the last months of our incipiency and co-hosted by the Shire of the Small Gray Bear. We named our event after the patron saint of smiths, even though Dunstan's actual feast day is May 19th. THL Arianwen, the feastocrat, was one of the original founders of the Shire; her husband and fellow founder, Lord Willem Cleburne (also known as Thomas the Beggar), gave a class on smithwork during the day. After a new member, Mariah of Powis, spent the entire day assisting in the kitchen, we instituted a shire rule: New members of Smythkepe are forbidden to do more than token work at their first shire event. This event included our first live weapons competition, with knife, axe, and anvil throwing; hand-cast sterling-silver prizes were given to the winners.
June 16–18, AS XXIV (1989), Shoal Creek Methodist Campgrounds, Midway, Arkansas
Autocrat: Rosanda ni Shranachain
Feastocrat: Lady Siné ni Shranachain
MSKD was our first full-weekend event. We had been confirmed as a shire just a few months earlier, as the last act of HRM John the Mad Celt at Spring Coronation. We had a door price for members of $14 for the weekend, with five meals included. TRM Richard and Ellawin attended, the first Crowns to hold court at a Smythkepe event.
August 26, AS XXIV (1989), Riksa's yard, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Autocrat: Riksa "Brightblade"
This was a mini-event, with classes, party games, and a board game tournament.
December 9, AS XXIV (1989), Trinity Episcopal Church, Van Buren, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Dagmar Griselde von der Schmaragde
Feastocrat: Lady Rosanda ni Shranachain
Once again we moved the feast day for Dunstan from May to December. At this event, for the first time, we mounted the Quest for the Shrine of St. Dunstan, one of our most popular recurring activities. HRM Liadrachan of Meridies attended.
July 13–15, AS XXV (1990), Shoal Creek Methodist Campgrounds, Midway, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Siné ni Shranachain
Feastocrat: Mariah of Powis
The second MSKD set the format for those that followed, with a double-elimination tournament on Saturday and a fledgling tournament on Sunday. Once again we offered knife, axe, and anvil throwing, as we continued to do at later Midsummers. TRM Stephen and Jacqueline held court.
July 29, AS XXV (1990), Cedarville, Arkansas
Members of Smythkepe were asked to stage a small private demo for a birthday party at a Cedarville private home. The home, we were astonished to discover, included a great hall with a minstrel's gallery and miniature suits of armor; two huge (but very friendly) mastiff dogs roamed the house.
AS XXV or XXVI (date unknown), Trinity Episcopal Church, Van Buren, Arkansas
Autocrat/Feastocrat: Lady Siné ni Shranachain
This free mini-event was created by Lady Siné; her intention was that everyone attending would be as completely in persona as possible throughout the afternoon and feast. Lady Siné provided the food at her own expense, inviting members of Smythkepe and probably a few special guests from neighboring groups. I can find no calendar that notes this feast and so I am uncertain of the date or even the year, but I remember pleasantly cool weather, so I believe it was in the fall between MSKD II and the third Feast of St. Dunstan.
December 8, AS XXV (1990), Trinity Episcopal Church, Van Buren, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Rosanda ni Shranachain
Feastocrat: Lady Siné ni Shranachain
Door price for members at this event was $7. Once again we held the Quest for the Shrine of St. Dunstan.
April 5–7, AS XXV (1991), Camp Yorktown Bay, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Rosanda ni Shranachain
Feastocrat: Lady Siné ni Shranachain
This was the largest event Smythkepe has yet held. We seated just over 200 at feast, with innumerable servers and kitchen workers. Many of the guests at this event never knew where the food for feast was cooked—the feast hall and kitchen burned to the ground ten days before the event. Lady Siné, the feastocrat (and long-time seneschale of Smythkepe), spent the day over barbecue grills and Coleman stoves hidden behind a classroom building; when feast time arrived we threw up cloth partitions beside the open feast pavilion and brought the cooked food in to be served. From the point of view of guests, cloth walls sprang up and food started pouring out! Lady Siné received her Grant of Arms at this event, whether from TRM Michael and Judith or from TRM Stephen and Jacqueline I do not recall. Lady Siné was the first member of Smythkepe ever to receive a Grant of Arms.
May 31–June 2, AS XXVI (1991), Shoal Creek Methodist Campgrounds, Midway, Arkansas
Autocrat: Ly. Rosanda ni Shranachain
Feastocrat: THL Siné ni Shranachain
Yes, you read that date correctly. Less than two months after throwing Coronation without a kitchen, we hosted our regular summer event. For the third straight time, Lady Rosanda was the autocrat and Lady Siné was the feastocrat. TRM Stephen and Jacqueline attended this event.
August 24, AS XXVI (1991), Copperhead Canyon, Chester, Arkansas
Hostess: Lady Selina "Headbasher" Valvasar
This was one of our largest IDGTGTPE Moots, with a huge "Frustration Bonfire" in which guests could throw anything that frustrated them. The trees probably still lean outward from the bonfire site.
December, AS XXVI (1991), Trinity Episcopal Church, Van Buren, Arkansas
This was the last winter event at which we held the Quest for the Shrine of St. Dunstan. TRM Hadi and Ameraulde attended.
June 19–21, AS XXVII (1992), Shoal Creek Methodist Campgrounds, Midway, Arkansas
Autocrat: Gerberga of Ardennes
Feastocrat: Lady Rosanda ni Shranachain
This event included a genuine Catholic Latin wedding in Italian Renaissance style, held offsite at a nearby monastery, the Subiaco Abbey, complete with genuine singing monks.
December 4–6, AS XXVII (1992), Lake Fort Smith State Park, Mountainburg, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Mariah of Powis
Feastocrat: Lady Rohiel de Montalia
The first time the Feast of St. Dunstan ran over a full weekend was also the last time the Feast was a separate event. Lake Fort Smith, although scenic enough to guests, turned out to be a very unpleasant site for Smythkepe. This event also holds the shire's bad weather record to date, with sleet and freezing rain for most of the weekend. Bad weather didn't stop the fighters; they rode in the back of an open truck from the hall to the list field. We had to periodically beat the built-up ice off of the outermost cloak of the list mistress, Lady Rosanda. TRM John and Jane Falada held court, giving numerous awards—in fact, doubling the number of awards ever given to Smythkepe members.
June 4–6, AS XXVIII (1993), Shoal Creek Methodist Campgrounds, Midway, Arkansas
Autocrats: Lady Selina "Headbasher" Valvasar, Lady Rixa Ericsdotter
Feastocrats: Ron of Smythkepe, Esteban the Doomed
While I don't believe that our guests noticed anything amiss, we put on this event despite a great deal of internal strife. (I contributed my share; this event sparked my poorly-received "Kitchen Chauvinism" editorial.) In the fifteen months following this event, inter-household conflicts (and a few acts of deliberate malice) cost Smythkepe over half its population, including a number of our most valued members.
January 8, AS XXVIII (1994)
Although we published a flyer in Popular Chivalry for the Sixth Feast of St. Dunstan, the event was ultimately cancelled due to lack of a suitable event site.
June 3–5, AS XXIX (1994), Shoal Creek Methodist Campgrounds, Midway, Arkansas.
Autocrat: Lady Selina "Headbasher" Valvasar
Feastocrats: Lord Docron & Lady Darlene of Smythkepe
Subtitled, "Featuring the Feast of St. Dunstan", this was our confession that, at least for now, the Feast of St. Dunstan was dead as an independent event. For the first time, we included the Quest for the Shrine of St. Dunstan (its fourth appearance) as part of our summer event, an activity that wouldn't have been possible without the assistance of several members of Small Gray Bear. HRM Juliana held court and gave several awards to Smythkepe members.
February 25th, AS XXIX (1995), Christ the King School, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Moira nic Bryn
Feastocrat: Lady Mariah of Powis
The first Cracked Anvil was created as a backstop event. We weren't sure whether we'd have a site for the next MSKD, or enough people to put it on, so we threw a small event in late winter to satisfy our Kingdom requirement of one event per year. Cracked Anvil was the first official Smythkepe event actually to be held in our home city. Attendance was quite small, and feast was quite large. I wrote about Cracked Anvil at length in In Praise of Small Events.
May 25, AS XXX (1995), Shoal Creek Methodist Campgrounds, Midway, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Moira nic Bryn
Feastocrat: Lady Mariah of Powis
This was the fifth Quest for the Shrine of St. Dunstan, and our last appearance at Shoal Creek for some time. We weren't surprised, as we'd been having trouble with the management for several years, but we were left without a suitable summer site. It would be more than five years before MSKD and the Quest returned, and twelve years before Smythkepe returned to Shoal Creek.
July 29, AS XXX (1995), Heavener Runestone State Park, Heavener, Oklahoma
We joined with the College of Gnome Vale (since renamed several times) of Ansteorra for a picnic, fighter practice, and revel at the Heavener Runestone, the only authentic period European site west of the Mississippi, so far as I know. Norse explorers carved several runes into a large slab of rock in eastern Oklahoma; the site today is a beautiful park, a small verdant cleft at the very top of a tall isolated ridge.
February 17, AS XXX (1996), Christ the King School, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Moira nic Bryn
Feastocrat: Lady Mariah of Powis
Another small event to keep ourselves busy and Kingdom happy, Cracked Anvil II also saw the introduction of "Plague Frog", a circle game imported from the then-College of Gnome Vale.
February 8, AS XXXI (1997), Christ the King School, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lord Denys de Houtbewerker
Feastocrat: Lady Mariah of Powis
For the third year in a row Lady Mariah prepared the Cracked Anvil feast, but this time with a difference: She was applying for the rank of Grand Chef of Meridies. Thanks to Lady Mariah's feast this Cracked Anvil was a huge success, with attendance larger than the first two combined. Their Royal Highnesses Padruig and Linnet attended and helped judge the feast; Meridies royalty would not return to Smythkepe for eight long years.
June 20, AS XXXIII (1998), Christ the King School, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Mariah of Powis
Feastocrat: Maire Siene nic Grahame (of Small Gray Bear)
The fourth Cracked Anvil, in a curious departure, moved to a date nearer to midsummer than most of our Midsummer Knight's Dreams had ever hit. Instead of our usual knife, axe, and anvil throwing, we held a "Live Kitchen Weapons" competition: cleaver throw (at a wooden target), spoon toss (at a large kettle), and cast-iron skillet throw (for distance). In another notable departure from the past, Lady Mariah served as autocrat rather than feastocrat, and the feastocrat was a guest from Small Gray Bear.
October 22–24, AS XXXIV (1999), Rogers Scout Reservation, Ione, Arkansas
Autocrat: Eldrid Ulfson
Feastocrat: Sorcha Rhys
Our first weekend event in four years used a new site, a simply enormous Boy Scout reservation. A number of fairly new members to Smythkepe distinguished themselves by throwing an enjoyable (if smaller than hoped for) event. The weather was unexpectedly cold, leading to jokes about the Fimbulwinter. Her Stellar Highness Susannah attended and held court, the first royalty of Gleann Abhann to visit Smythkepe.
December 31, AS XXXIV (1999), Fort Smith, Arkansas
The way we figured it, with the Shire of Smythkepe turning thirteen years old at the same moment the year 1999 ended, the world just had to end. So we threw a party.
September 1–3, AS XXXV (2000), Rogers Scout Reservation, Ione, Arkansas
Autocrat: Eldrid Ulfson
Feastocrat: Sorcha Rhys
Our second event at Rogers Scout Reservation marked the return of MSKD, with the Feast of St. Dunstan and the sixth Quest for the Shrine of St. Dunstan. For the first time, we had equestrian activities at an event.
August 31–September 2, AS XXXVI (2001), Rogers Scout Reservation, Ione, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lord Cinaed of Eden
Feastocrat: Amber Rhianna Morgan
Titled "The Feast of the Forbidden Fruit," the delicious feast for this event featured apples. This was our largest summer event in years and included the seventh Quest for the Shrine of St. Dunstan (also featuring apples).
December ??, AS XXXVI (2001), Fort Smith, Arkansas
Autocrat: THL Moira nic Bryn
Food Wrangler: Bridget O'Fallon
This event, Cracked Anvil V combined with the Shire Birthday Party, didn't make it onto the Kingdom calendar, but we had a good time anyway. It took place in the athletic building of a Fort Smith apartment complex. (Note to heralds: It's not easy to make understandable announcements in racquetball courts.)
August 30–September 1, AS XXXVII (2002), Rogers Scout Reservation, Ione, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lord Lucas Von dem Schwartzwald
Feastocrat: Tristan Morgan
Questocrat: Seamas Mac Daibhid
Viking hordes descended upon the Shrine of St. Dunstan, complete with runestones large and small (Quest VIII).
AS XXXVII (2003), St. Michael's Catholic School, Van Buren, Arkansas
Autocrat: THL Moira nic Bryn
Food Wrangler: Bridget O'Fallon
Cracked Anvil unexpectedly (to Moira and me, at least) blossomed into a real event, with about 90 people attending. A new game appeared, using steel-tipped wooden kitchen spoons as lawn darts.
August 29–September 1, AS XXXVIII (2003), Rogers Scout Reservation, Ione, Arkansas
Autocrat: Frederick Alten
Feastocrat: Geoffrey?
Questocrat: Dante
This was Smythkepe's first four-day event, with fighting on Saturday and Sunday. The ninth Quest for the first time broke with our traditional "linear" quest and allowed free exploration by quest teams.
February 14, AS XXXVIII (2004), Cedarville, Arkansas
Autocrat: Bridget O'Fallon?
Feastocrat: Alys
The event being held on St. Valentine's Day, a contest was held for best romantic presentation during feast, which unexpectedly produced two wedding proposals.
September 3–6, AS XXXIX (2004), Rogers Scout Reservation, Ione, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lord Cinaed of Eden
Feastocrat: Amber Morgan
Questocrat: Seamas Mac Daibhid
A Roman-themed four-day event. The tenth Quest was a murder mystery in a small Roman town.
February 19, AS XXXIX (2005), Franklin County Fairgrounds, Ozark, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Eva Helena Vettori
Feastocrat: Morin Inghen Ruaric
HRM Ashildr, Queen of Meridies, attended and held court, granting a wide variety of awards to a number of deserving members of Smythkepe. Her Majesty was the first Meridian royalty to visit Smythkepe in eight years (since Cracked Anvil III). Total attendance was over 130 people, truly astounding for a day-trip event.
September 2–5, AS XL (2005), Rogers Scout Reservation, Ione, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lady Bridget O'Fallon
Feastocrat:
Questocrat: Lord Dante de Pirro
April 8, AS XL (2006), Franklin County Fairgrounds, Ozark, Arkansas
Autocrat: Avaline de Chevriere, (deputy) Lord Dante de Pirro
Feast Steward: Lord Geoffrey de Baston
This event included the Smythkepe Triathlon, and a visit by TRM Graf Sir Tar Radu and Bann-Iarla Broinnfhionn inghean uí Chatháin, the first King and Queen of the new Kingdom of Gleann Abhann.
September 1–4, AS XLI (2006), Rogers Scout Reservation, Ione, Arkansas
Autocrat:
Feastocrat:
Questocrat: THL Moira nic Bryn
April 13–15, AS XLI (2007), Shoal Creek Methodist Camp, Midway, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lord Dante di Pirro
Feastocrat: James?
This event marked Smythkepe's return, after more than a decade, to Shoal Creek Camp, my personal favorite of all of Smythkepe's event sites, and also marked the first time that Cracked Anvil was hosted as a weekend event.
May 18–20, AS XLII (2007), Shoal Creek Methodist Camp, Midway, Arkansas
Event Steward:
Feast Steward:
After more than thirty events and nearly twenty years, for the first time Smythkepe held a feast on St. Dunstan's Day, May 19th. This was our first kingdom-level event for the young Kingdom of Gleann Abhann.
August 31–September 3, AS XLII (2007), Rogers Scout Reservation, Ione, Arkansas
Event Stewards: THL Regne de Lyon, THL Frederick Alton
Feast Stewards: Lady Morin ignhen Ruairc, Lady Amber Morgan, Quataryna la Petita
Quest: THL Moira nic Bryn, Seamas Mac Daibhid
In our recreation of the 1565 Siege of Malta, the forces of the Knights Hospitallers, led by HRH Uther, valiantly defended their home against the besieging Ottoman forces of Amir Rashid ibn Hilal. The Maltese teams pretty well swept the fighting events, winning the war handily, although the Ottoman teams captured several of the A&S war points. Saturday's feast featured a "siege cooking" competition by war teams, preparing a delicious and attractive feast from very limited supplies. Quest explored a small Maltese town in the camp's 56' by 56' wooden fort, complete with guard tower and lighthouse. TRH Uther and Kenna again graced our shire by their presence.
March 28–30, AS XLII (2008), Shoal Creek Methodist Camp, Midway, Arkansas
Event Steward: THL Frederick Alton
Feast Steward: Lord Cinaed of Eden
Rain and hail failed to dampen the enthusiasm at this event, which included classes, tournaments, and a Royal Court of HRM Kenna.
August 22–24, AS XLIII (2008), Shoal Creek Methodist Camp, Midway, Arkansas
May 30, AS XLIV (2009), Franklin County Fairgrounds, Ozark, Arkansas
Commodore: Lady Bridget O'Fallon
Chief Cook: Lady Morin Inghen Ruaire
This was a heavily nautical-themed event, complete with ship's biscuit for feast.
August 28–30, AS XLIV (2009), Shoal Creek Methodist Camp, Midway, Arkansas
Event Steward: Lady Quataryna la Petita
Feast Steward: THL Geoffrey de Baston
May 21–23, AS XLV (2010), Camp Cahinnio, Ione, Arkansas
Event Steward: THL Regne du Lyon
Feast Steward: Lady Maud de Bywater
For this event we tested a new site, a Girl Scout campground just a few miles from the Boy Scout camp we'd used in the past. Equestrian activities returned to Smythkepe for the first time in several years, and HRM Jon (called the Tall) held a generous court. (Note: Some flyers, perhaps superstitiously, labeled this as our fourteenth Cracked Anvil.)
September 3–5, AS XLV (2010), Camp Cahinnio, Ione, Arkansas
Event Steward: Lord James Cooke the Sinistre
Feast Steward: Lady Ceara ingean Lasair
Subtitled "A Day in the Life of a Noble," MSKD XVIII included both heavy weapon and rapier tournaments, A&S competitions and classes, equestrian demonstrations, archery, and a pleasant court of HRM Jon (called the Tall).
November 12–14, AS XLV (2010), Camp Cahinnio, Ione, Arkansas
Event Steward: Lady Aesa Gothfagmar
Feast Steward: Lord Cinaed of Eden
Our second Crown Tourney; attendees had the privilege of greeting TRH Havordh and Morgana as the new heirs of Gleann Abhann.
May 28, AS XLVI (2011), Franklin County Fairgrounds, Ozark, Arkansas
Event Stewards: Lady Helena de Navarre, Isobel de Camerino
Feast Stewards: Lady Nepheli Eirenikas, Lady Dagun of Birsey
We must have been feeling our shire was particularly successful at this time, for we hosted this event for free, including a feast for 75 guests.
September 2–4, AS XLVI (2011), Camp Cahinnio, Ione, Arkansas
Autocrat: Lord Cinaed of Eden
Feastocrat: THL James the Sinister
This MSKD featured period games, along with the usual heavy and light weapons competitions. One of the more elaborate "games" was our fourteenth Quest, based upon the Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer.
May 26, AS XLVII (2012), Burnham Woods (Girl Scouts of Arkansas), Fort Smith, Arkansas
Autocrat: THL Maud dee Bywater
Feast Steward: Renee Reynault
August 31–September 2, AS XLVII (2012), Camp Cahinnio, Ione, Arkansas
April 19–21, AS XLVII (2013), Camp Cahinnio, Ione, Arkansas
August 30–September 1, AS XLVIII (2013), Camp Cahinnio, Ione, Arkansas
May 9–11, AS XLIX (2014), Camp Cahinnio, Ione, Arkansas
Autocrat: Alix dite Merline
Feastocrat: Baroness Ceara inghean Lasair
Due to a double-booking of our site, this Cracked Anvil got shifted to Mother's Day weekend, cutting attendance somewhat; still, the event went well. Heavy fighting included a "King's Challenge" by HRM Uther, who also held a brief but busy court. Due to the reduced turnout, the feast was even more overwhelming than Smythkepe's usual.