Challenges XXIV

*Schedule is in Central Time*

It is our wish to create a "Bardic Safe Zone"
- A friendly place to stretch yourself, and try new things. 
If you've never performed before, now's your chance.  If you are new to bardic and performing arts, recently returning, or perhaps an experienced performer with new material, (etc.);
You'll be hard pressed to find a friendlier and more supportive audience! 
We are always delighted to see lots of first time, returning performers, and 'masters of the craft'.

Read more about the challenges and the general rules & courtesy guidelines below!

  Challenge Patrons

Would you like to be a Patron?  Contact Lorelei at loreleiskye25@gmail.com

Click here for the information page on being a Patron, and the list of challenges needing Patrons

Challenges

Many challenges are non-specific and say "perform a work/piece/something of..." etc. 
"Works" includes something found, created, or original of your choice
in song, story, poem, prose, with instruments, script, improv,
...and/or anything else that's a performing or movement art!

**New 2022**  Bard Scribe Illuminator Challenge entrants are encouraged to create ahead along with day-of, visit challenge 4.2 for more information!  (4th fyt, 2nd challenge).

* This year's Madness theme explores the cycles of hours, moons, and seasons, and so we name our fyts for some of the canonical hours of the day and also the seasons of the year.  Similarly, we name our 13 challenges and concert after the 13 full moons of the lunar calendar year.
Read https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/full-moon-names.html to learn about full moon names.

* As spring is the first full season of the calendar year, and Lauds is the morning hour, our first fyt is named Spring and Lauds.  Similarly, since spring's first full moon of the year is that of March, the worm moon, our first challenge is so-named, and we progress onward from there through the year.

First Fyt - Lauds - La Primavera (Spring)

1.1  ~Worm Moon~  Early Bird Warm Up Challenge!

Boot up the braincells and warm up your cuppa tea, coffee, chai, (or other preferred beverage at whatever temperature ;) ) to join us in the first challenge!

Perform something of your choice in song, story, poem, prose, script, improv, etc...  to merrily start the day!

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1.2  ~Pink Moon~  Pink is the color of...
Pink (aka, "Royal Salmon") may be someone's favorite color, or perhaps a mishap that occurs when a Midrealm or Midlands red tabard fades or "shares" its color with other articles in the washing process.

Share a work of pink!

(*Except Not "Lilly the Pink" or a variant!" *LOL* )

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1.3  ~Flower Moon~  A Bardic Bouquet

Throughout many sources, there are references to a, "Language of Flowers", "The Flower of Chivalry", roses of many colors, weaving and wearing flowers in ones hair, the flower bouquets of May Fests, etc.

Present to us a piece on posies!

Second Fyt - Terce - Le Estate (Summer) 

2.1   ~Strawberry or Honey Moon~  Will You "Bee" Up To This Stir-Fry Challenge?
(With thanks to Dahrien Cordell for this challenge and suggested word list!)
What do strawberries and honey have in common?  BEES!  Bees can get pollen from strawberries and make honey with it.  Yumm!  Use as many words from our list of bee-related words as you can, and mash them into a song, brief story, poetry, etc.  If you choose to use a pre-existing song or other pre-format (Like Dr. Seuss or Lewis Carol or Edgar Allen Poe poetry), you can give yourself extra credit if your work's original base also relates to bees!

syrup nectar
mead milk
honeycomb lavender
dearest wax
clover golden
jelly fruit
vine garden
seeds blonde
lemonade cacao (or cocoa or chocolate)
bitter dirt or earth (small *e*)
hybrid duke (or duchess)
birthmark

Bonus words:
oenomel - from an ancient Greek beverage consisting of honey and unfermented grape juice; from Greek words oinos (wine) and meli (honey)

stolon - in biology, horizontal connections between organisms, also known as runners; from Latin stolō (branch)

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2.2  ~Buck Moon~  Follow the Leader

Lead the room in a work that will have the whole room singing, answering, drumming, dancing or otherwise jamming along with you.

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2.3   ~Sturgeon Moon~  Period Piece

Reel in the lines and fish out those historical works!
Perform a documentable work of music, song, story, poetry, prose, or script from among the many eras and cultures explored by the SCA.  Dig out those reference books, blow off the dust (try not to sneeze), and discover what wonderful treasures are contained therein.   There is a staggering amount of fantastic material out there.  Find something, be it silly or sublime, and amaze us all.

*No documentation presentation needed*

Third Fyt - None - Lo Autunno (Fall)

3.1  ~Harvest Moon~  From John Barlycorn to Caseg Fedi*
At Harvest there is hope the seeds planted at the start of spring have provided bountiful crops to see one's village through the winter.   That plenty of hands will make light work.  A completion of tasks and quests through toils, and reaping such rewards- which depending the seeds sown, could have quite the turnabout!   
There are a cornucopia of legends and traditions to celebrate and bring in the harvest!

Perform a work celebrating or sharing about Harvest, completion of a quest, roads traveled (pot holes and all), or -- like the Caseg Fedi (the "September Mare") - passing down knowledge from the fall to teach the new seeds to grow.

(*Footnote* Caseg Fedi is one of several Welsh harvest traditions.  https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caseg_Fedi#Lwc_dda Select "English" in upper right of screen to translate the page.  Option may appear differently on computers and devices.  Reference is under "Good luck".  More information also found here:  https://www.tota.world/article/2707/ )

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3.2  ~Hunter’s Moon~  Here There Be Ravens, Corbies, & Blackbirds ...Oh My! / (Or, Alternate Title:  Something Raven This Way Comes!)
3 Ravens, Twa Corbies, 4-and-Twenty-Blackbirds, a Storytelling (or the spookier Murder) of Crows - these large black birds have been used through the ages as symbols of passage and change of circumstances, as well as their thieving of shiny things.

Share a work about these fascinating birds!

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3.3  ~Frost Moon~  Blow Someone Else’s Horn

Perform the work of some other SCAdian.  Extra applause for matching the theme of the day and/or choosing something that is not well-known.

A special seat of honor will be provided if the author of the work is present. 

~ Blue Moon~
Concert
There will be a concert the day of the event.  Click Here for more information
Concert sign-up sheet is on the same table as the other challenges.

Fourth Fyt - Vespers - Li Inverno (Winter)

*2022 Note:  Due to the various changes COVID can still bring, during feast and the 4th fyt 
we will not be doing any challenges with singing, or wind and brass instruments, while also eating.**
(This fully aligns with the previous existing Middle Kingdom requirements, which were active when we started planning this event.  And keeps us compliant in the case these are brought back.)

4.1.a  ~Cold Moon~  Pass the Tale, In Real Time & Impromptu *does not count towards 4 challenge total*
All those who wish to participate will be part of cooperatively creating a short impromptu tale from beginning to end.  To begin the tale - The patron may come up with a story theme or title, or call for one from the audience.  Next, will "conduct" participants by choosing whose turn it is to continue the tale.  Finally, deciding when it is time to end the story.   Sometimes, the patron may call on someone to provide a moral or lesson learned in the story. 
Since this is the Cold Moon challenge, themes or titles dealing with the cold or winter will be receive bonus smiles.

4.1.b  ~Cold Moon, Continued~  Toasting & Boasting
Feast time is traditionally when we raise our glasses high to honor the crown and others.
Speak your toast (or boast) extemporaneously, eloquently, succinctly, and magniloquently, upon the person, theme, or subject matter selected.
On the sign-up sheets, some lines have a specific toast subject to prepare to give when signing up for the challenge.  The ones with blank will draw their random subject at feast out of a pitcher.
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4.2  ~Wolf Moon~  Bard Scribe Illumination:  With 3 creative options!
Compose the text, write in calligraphy, and illuminate the page.  This may be done individually or as a team, example: different people write the text, scribe the letters, and/or create the illumination.  See your options for subject matter below.  Read the finished product and show it around, at feast!

New experiment with this for 2022:   *** Reminder; no singing during the feast ***
  * Multiple options to choose from!
  * Instead of a "day of" challenge (doing all the work for this challenge at the event), take all the time you have from now until the day-of when you present your works at the event!

Option 1:  Create a Scroll Blank to donate to the Group/Kingdom of your choice.

Option 2 - Wolves!:  Briefly mentioned in the Eddas, the Vikings believed the wolves Sköll and Hati are two wolves which pursue Sol and Mani, the sun and moon, through the sky in hopes of devouring them.  There are many other legends and folktales of wolves as the hero or attempting some villainy.  Choose or create a short tale, select a title of a tale, or perhaps a particular scene, involving wolves to share as a Bard Scribe Illumination.

Option 3:  During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, many individuals and households had a personalized Book of Hours.  Many illuminated manuscripts and scribal examples come from a variety of these books.  Each Fyt today has also been given a canonical time of day.  Using this as a guide, choose or create a work inspired by one of today's Fyts, and/or a different Book of Hours that you have found and enjoyed.
Examples from a variety of Books of Hours:  https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/transcending_time/,

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Second Blue Moon Bonus Challenge  - What's in a list? 
(*To present if time during feast or post-revel!  Does not count towards the 4 challenge sign-up limit!)
4 seasons, 7 days in a week,12 months of the year, 13 Full Moons, 24 hours in a day... 
Can you come up with a list of 12 songs with any numbers in the title? 
Bonus applause if the numbers are 1-12!

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4.3  ~ Snow Moon~  Poetry Form Challenge:  Rondeau variant, "Rondeau Prime"
Ending with one of the favorite Bardic Madness Challenges we look forward to every year-
the flurry of poetic entries!  *With thanks to Cerian Cantwr for this challenge!

The rondeau prime is a shorter variation of the rondeau.  It too is a French form dating from the 13th century.
It contains twelve lines, which tend to be iambic.  Ten of them are of similar length, while the two half-lines restate the opening phrase.  The verse is split into two sections - seven lines in the first and five in the second.  Both sections end with the half-line refrain.  The rhyme scheme is as follows:  abbaccbR abbaR

A The rondeau prime is an alternate form;
B It has but twelve lines and not fifteen -
B Throughout the verse, iambs are routine.
C Now while the line lengths can be varied,
C They should stay close, like they were married.
B Except the half-line, which restates the theme:
R The rondeau prime

A So to these guidelines please conform,
B And do not let your lines careen,
B Your verse should sweetly sound serene.
A A new piece that you now perform.
R The rondeau prime

Here Endeth the Challenges,
Onto the Post Revel!