Samhain VI

 

Event Summary

Event Main Contact (Event Steward): Ivanov Kievich
Date: November 3 , 2001
Site opens at: 12:00 AM on November 3th 2001
Site closes at: 12:00 AM

Event site:
The Parish of St. Augustine
8680 Hudson Street Vancouver, BC V6P 4M5

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Samhain VI
“Purgatory Pastimes”

November 3, 2001 from Noon until Midnight
In the beatific Barony of Three Mountains

As Dante put it, “Do you have a feeling of ‘that dead air’ which oppresses your
bosom and your sight?” Its probably something you brought back from your
holiday in Hell last year!
(Remember folks this is an educational tongue-in-cheek event.)

As you may recall from last year…
Participants were lead by Virgil on a guided cruise of a Dante-esk Hell as described in Book 1
of Dantes’ Divine Comedy. This year we continue this same educational and humorous
“spirit” at our annual Samhain event with a theme based on Book 2 of the Divine Comedy –
Purgatory. Yes, that’s right, Purgatory!

Imagine your cruise ship (or barge, raft, whatever) has crashed on the island of Mount Purgatory and
the only way off the island is a long climb up Mount Purgatory into Paradise – right behind
Virgil and his lovely inspiration Beatrice!

So if you ate too much at the ship’s buffet table or if you danced way too much with the
demons on the promenade deck you are certainly going to get all that sin out of your system on
this climb! Pack your towel because it is time to purge!

Come as a character from the book or come as something from a similar theme of another culture.
Its up to you. The Baron Gwilym, The Autocrat, will provide character suggestions when asked.
You are welcome if they have (pardon the pun) the
right spirit. Themes in keeping with Purgatory: purging, humility, forgiveness, repentance, courtesy,
and happily enduring your deserved punishment as you tour Purgatory so you can enter Paradise!

Autocrat: Baron Master Gwilym Moore de Montfort.
Location: Mount Hood Masons Lodge at 527 – 43rd Ave. SE, Portland, OR.
Site Fee: $5.00 person (all ages except babes in arms are free). Legal Family cap $25.

Food: The Barony provide the lunch-time tea/juice
and snack food from 1pm to 3pm. Around 6pm-ish: there will begin a potluck buffet
finger food feast. The Barony provide the main finger food (one meat and one non-meat) and some juice or
cider for the pot-luck portion of the event. (Barony will provide bread. DO NOT BRING BREAD.)
Participation involves attendees providing a creative and yummy ready to serve potluck period snack
(no trenchers/bowls needed) sufficient to feed their party plus 40. This is a moist site meaning diners
who bring their own outside beverages must consume them via period containers and all empty modern
conveyances must be taken home.

Three Purgatory tourneys during the noon to 3pm hours –
For Armored combat: A single sword or Florentine (no shield) tourney. Melee one against all style
except that the only criteria for success is courtesy and humility. A gallery of observers will judge
who gets points for courtesy and humility and prizes will be awarded in court. Details will be provided
on site.
For Archery: Given site restrictions there will be some activity for Archers on site.
Expect the unexpected and come with a sense of humor. For Fencing: Ditto. See future event copy for more information. (This web info. may NOT be updated
as often – or at all- as The Plume event copy may be. Want better than electronic info? Subscribe to your local SCA branch newsletter.)

Evening activities
There will be games, a costume contest for most creative costume in keeping with the theme, and
a children’s hunt for sweets. Also, at the gate, everyone attending will spin the “Wheel of Purging!”
(This wheel will describe what kind of sin you committed,which allowed you to skip Hell and go directly to
Purgatory, and this random designation will prepare you for thematic contests and challenges during the
evening. For example you may get the sin of Pride and, according to Dante, the sin of Pride is purged
by Heavy Stones with the help of the Angel of Humility. But we won’t give too much away right now.
How about participating in a “Confessional” to raise money for worthy projects? This voluntary
“Confessional Purge” will be judged based on the entertainment value of the confession combined
with a suitable act of humility by the confessor.

DIRECTIONS: (Unfamiliar with the area? Bring a map.) In Portland find best way to I-84.
From EAST: Take the 42nd Ave. exit, left onto Halsey, left onto 39th. Left onto Stark.
(Site on right between SE 42nd/SE 43rd.) From WEST: Take the 39th Ave. exit. Left on
Stark, then same as above.

Below is a short biography about Dante and an outline of Mount Purgatory to help provide you
with some ideas for the theme of the event and contests. Please contact me if you wish to
volunteer or set up, kitchen, clean up, decorations, contests, a play or similar activities.
Gwilym (Sean Hinckley)
Email: lordbaronthreemountains@hotmail.com
Phone: 503-247-3504 or you may write to me at
5925 N. Gay, Portland, OR 97217. No calls before 8am or after 10pm please.

Biography: Dante Alighieri

“Dante Alighieri was born in Florence in 1265 and belonged to a noble but impoverished family.
He followed a normal course of studies, possibly attending university in Bologna, and when he was
about twenty he married Gemma Donan, by whom he had five children. He studied philosophy and
theology and wrote La Vita Nuova. During a time of strife between the Guelfs and the Ghibellines
(see an encyclopedia) he was exiled for being a White Guelf when the Black Guelfs came to power.
He took refuge in Verona and after wandering from place to place, as far as Paris and even, some
have reported, to Oxford, he settled in Ravenna. While there he completed the Divine Comedy, which
he began in about 1308. Dante died in Ravenna in 1321. To the consternation of those who believed
Latin to be the only proper language for dignified verse, Dante wrote the Comedy in colloquial Italian,
wanting it to be a poem for the common reader. Dante combined two great themes the story of a
version of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, and a story of a lover who braves the underworld to
find his lost lady Dante created a great allegory. The Divine Comedy is called swift, exciting, and
topical and it is suggested Dante poured his learning, wit, tenderness, humor, and enthusiasm
into this poetry.” From Penguin Classics, Dante, The Divine Comedy 2 – Purgatory, as translated
by Dorothy L. Sayers, 1955.

Below is an outline of Mount Purgatory for those interested in getting into the spirit of the Samhain VI theme. (By C.W. Scott-Giles as used in
the Sayers translation noted in the Dante biography.)

Outline of Mount Purgatory

Upper Purgatory
Cornice 7 the Lustful, pennance = Fire,
Guardian = Angel of Chastity
Cornice 6 The Gluttonous, Starvation,
Angel of Temperance
Cornice 5 The Covetous, Prostration,
Angel of Liberality
Cornice 4 The Slothful, Running,
Angel of Zeal
Lower Purgatory
Cornice 3 The Wrathful, Smoke, Angel of Peace
Cornice 2 The Envious, Sealed Eyes,
Angel of Generosity or Mercy
Cornice 1 The Proud, Heavy Stones,
Angel of Humility
Ante Purgatory
Terrace 2 – The Late Repentant,
Detention for period equal to that of earthy life. Cato (Guardian of the Mountain)
Terrace 1 – The Excommunicate,
Detention for 30 times period of contumacy.

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