The Kingdom Pigeon
Artwork By: Ashley Kuppersmith
Message from the Crown
It is with great sadness that the crown and privy council announce the postponement of Alabama Medieval Fantasy Festival for 2021. We will be setting an alternative date in September. We are shooting for September 11 and 12 of 2021 but the date is not yet set in stone. We are hoping the extra few months will allow the kingdom and country to be in the healing mode. Thank you for your understanding in this most difficult decision. Rest assured all vendor fees and ticket sales pre covid will be honored. Until we may gather safely my friends stay safe and well
Queen Annwyn
Cook's Corner
Sweet Potato and Yams
Did you know there was a difference between a yam and a sweet potato? If so, do you know WHAT those differences are? How much you wanna bet, that the can you bought for Thanksgiving marked Yams was actually a soft sweet potato? Now, I can get all scientific, but I won’t. So here is the long of it, and the short of it.
How did the great mix up happen? Well.. let me tell you about it. Yams originate out of Africa and Asia. They are long, bark looking with a white-ish center. Almost like our regular run of the mill potatoes we use to make mashed taters with. HOWEVER, they do not taste like our regular potatoes. They are starchier and not really sweet like what they often get mixed up with. Yams can grow up to 5 FEET long. Yup you read that right.. FIVE feet long, OR they can grow as small as one of those red potatoes.
Now, the sweet potato came originally from Central and South America. The outside of it is a soft rose coloured skin and the inside a bright orange. The taste is quite sweet as well. Now, this is not to say that ALL sweet potatoes have the same appearances inside and out. They too come in tan outside and white flesh. As well as red skin and white flesh, lastly purple skin and purple flesh. No matter what the color, they all have the same shape, almost.. Long with a tapered end. They do not get as big as those yams do!.
Alright, I was going to tell you why the mix up, right? Well here it is. Goes back to the days when Sweet potatoes were being grown and harvested by slaves. There were two variations that were popular back in the heyday. A firm sweet potato , which we eat today and call it a sweet potato, and a soft sweet potato, which is what they knew from Africa. They called the soft one a yam, to distinguish the difference between the two root vegetables. . Thusly that can of yams you bought for the holidays, ten to one says it was actually a soft sweet potato. Just saying. I hope each of you have a blessed holiday.
Vendor Spotlight:
Medieval Shields By Ray
Shields for Adults
Wood shields and weapons for children
Knighting Ceremony
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Christmas in the time of COVID
Well, this year has been a doozie, nothing short of apocalyptic. The Kingdom and its members have had setbacks, closures, loss of loved ones, dwindling numbers and hostile weather; and that is just this year. You could say that we have every right to throw in the towel, call it quits, wrap it up.
But NAY! NAY say I and nay say our wonderful volunteers. The Christmas spirit and I dare say the faire spirit was alive and well in the kingdom last Saturday and Sunday! Life was breathed back into our wonderful little world. The vendors that braved the plague and travelled across the land to join us were a welcome blessing. Thank you to all that came out. We had travelers from the nearby villages to come visit us and check out the wares sold. Everyone was feeling the energy in the air. For just a few days no one’s minds were on the troubles of the year. We were all just happy to be back with our fairmily.
That spirit, that feeling we get around holidays is what we need this year to get us through. Some more than others. You cannot bottle or wrap it up and put it under your tree, but it is probably more valuable than anything sold in the stores. So next time you have the opportunity to spread a little joy, participate in something silly or just help to make some season a little nicer, do it and help make this season brighter for all.
History of Lord Chancellor
Edward the Confessor first created the post of chancellor, which has always remained one of the leading offices of state. The chancellor was keeper of the great seal and acted as chief secretary to the king, drawing up charters and writs. When the office of justiciar ended in the mid-13th cent. the chancellor became the most important man in the country after the king. He was a leading adviser and presided over meetings of the great council. In the 14th cent. the chancellor entered the legal system when he began to hear appeals from subjects unable to obtain justice from the common law courts. From this it evolved that the chancellor became a judge in his own court, the Court of Chancery, operating in accordance with the ‘principles of equity’. The modern role of the lord chancellor thus straddles both political and legal spheres. He presides over the highest court of appeal in the country, the House of Lords. He is also part of the legislature, acting as Speaker in the Lords. Finally, the lord chancellor is a government cabinet minister responsible for the operation of the English judicial system. The second Blair administration proposed to replace the Lord Chancellorship by a Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, but, after strong opposition, in 2005 the two offices were merged.
Happy Name Day
to all of those who were born in December. Hip! Hip! Huzzah!
December Horoscopes:
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)You’ll begin the month as the belle of the celestial ball, Sag. As you’re surely aware, your birthday season is already underway — and you’ll get to bask in the sun’s warm rays until the 21st, when it moves into your neighboring sign, Capricorn. Beyond that, Mercury will light up your sign from the 1st to the 20th, the 14th’s new moon will occur in your sign, and Venus will sidle up alongside Mercury on the 15th. You’ll feel free to express yourself, chase your passions with abandon, and, in true Archer form, see the joke in everything. This will be an energetic period for you, so just be sure you aren’t burning the candle at both ends. Make time to show yourself some love and restorative care. Your enthusiasm will be rewarded later in the month, when your ruling planet, Jupiter, moves into your communication sector, urging you to share your wisdom with others and to ask them for their thoughts, as well. Your personal and professional life will benefit immensely if you tap into — and nurture — your network right now, Sag.Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)It’s time to clear the fields so that new growth can take hold, Capricorn. The first few weeks of December will see you in editor mode, quietly and systematically shearing away what you perceive to be unnecessary, unfulfilling, or simply dead weight. Bad habits, absentee friends, unworn clothing, and busywork that exceeds your paygrade all await the chopping block. And, while you like to be discerning and careful in your decisions, do not be afraid to kill your darlings, Cap. A new year is coming and you should go into it feeling lighter and ready to take on new, better things.
After all that inner tidying up, your month-long birthday season kicks off on the 21st. Knowing you, you’ll likely keep your nose to the grindstone even as those around you toast to your time in the sun (pun intended). Nevertheless, consider treating yourself at least a little during the sun’s month-long stay in your sign. This will be a particularly opportune time to set out on new endeavors, ones that you can call completely your own (this should be catnip to your ambitious, independent sign). You’ll be able to find cheerleaders when you need them, but you’ll find greater satisfaction in flying solo for now.
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