Táin Bó

Hosted in-person by

The Barony of Glyn Dwfn (Medford, Ashland, Jackson Counties, OR )

Event Summary

Event Main Contact (Event Steward): Gaius Aurelianus Felix
Date: May 10 , 2024 until May, 12 2024
Site opens at: 12:00 AM on May 10th 2024
Site closes at: 11:59 PM on May 12th 2024

Event site:
Edenvale Winery
2310 Voorhies Rd Medford, OR 97501

Táin Bó!

Date & Hours: 2PM Friday 10 May to Noon Sunday 12 May

Gate Fees: $25 Weekend/Camping, $15 Day Rate, $10 Non-member Surcharge, Minors free

Site: Edenvale Winery, 2310 Voorhies Rd, Medford, OR 97501

Come one, come all, to Táin Bó, The Great Cattle Raid! Táin Bó is a Battle of the Branches where all activities earn your Shire or Barony points! The Barony of Glyn Dwfn welcomes you to a weekend packed with all manner of shenanigans! Heavy combat, rapier, cut & thrust, bardic, archery, food & drink competitions, siegecraft, a live Scribal competition, fun family activities, and more. Everything a person does earns coins for their branch, from volunteering at gate, to performing as a bard, to standing victorious on a field of victory! The winner of the Great Cattle Raid, the Branch who forms the best alliances, bribes the most merchants, and ultimately brings home the most coins and gems, will take home the Tain Bo banner for a year.

-We are at a new venue this year; beautiful EdenVale Winery, located just West of Highway 99 between Medford and Phoenix. The site is very convenient to Interstate 5, and there are many food and entertainment options close nearby. Don’t want to go far? EdenVale itself will be expanding their tasting area at the mansion for us so you can go try their amazing wines throughout the day. For those not wanting to camp, there are several hotels very close to the site.

-Táin Bó will once again host to a public facing Medieval Market replete with many merchants so make sure you bring your coin and support our local artisans. We will also have food trucks on site, and Edenvale will be retailing their fantastic selection of wines. Those interested in vending please contact glyndwfnmerchants@gmail.com.

-This is a new site this year: camp stoves and flame emitting devices featuring a valve or on/off switch ARE permitted with a fire extinguisher nearby. Pets up to date on all required vaccinations are welcome so long as they are restrained or contained. Camping space is somewhat limited and land pre-registration is strongly recommended, accessed here: https://forms.gle/spcDWPZfKUxjepDB7

-The event is discreetly wet while the market is open, and otherwise wet.

-Be advised that there is an open irrigation ditch running through site and the site is a working farm. Parents are expected to maintain control of their children, and attendees are not permitted to wander the grounds, excepting the parking lot and mansion during business hours.

Please follow our Facebook page for information and updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/272374505632460

Planned Activities:

COMBAT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All Forms Melees- Bring your friends and bribe your enemies in “The great cattle raid!” Invaders from other branches intend to steal your stud bull for their own glory. Rally the fighters from your branch and any mercenaries that you can convince to fight for your side! Each branch will have a timed turn defending their cattle from the combined might of the invaders. Glory will go to the heroes that hold their cattle the longest. Defenders will have but one life while the invaders continue to reappear. Any branch who bears a banner during the melee will be awarded an additional minute to their defense time.

Armored Combat:

Torchlight Tournament – A cattle raid is imminent and our brave defenders must take turns to protect the flock through the night! Each fighter will take a guard shift, holding the field against all comers. Only victories count, since each failure means another treasured cow lost to the raiders! The top two defenders will fight a final, best two of three, bring your best, to see who is the best protector of the flock.

Heavy Championship – Glyn Dwfn seeks a new champion! Bring your best in this double elimination tourney. The finalists will fight 3 different rounds with specified weapon forms; weapon and shield, two hand, and two weapons.

Heavy Prize Tournament – We fight for honor, we fight for duty, and we fight for treasure! In a raid, there are no second chances, you either win or you die. All combatants will fight best two of three, single elimination, to determine who takes home the treasure!

Rapier:

Pistol Duel – We begin our duels with pistols at 10 paces. A hit to the head or torso is a death. If you are hit by the rubber band in a non – destructive area, you keep your wound for the remainder of the duel! If both duelists are standing after the shots, they will continue with rapiers.

Wacky Offhand Rapier Tourney – Fighters will spin the wheel for one of the random wacky offhands and then have an udderly good time holding the field during this double round robin tourney.

Rapier Prize Tourney – Inspirations bring your cattle raider, and cattle raiders bring your best in this highland cow prize tourney. It’s so fluffy! Cattle raiders will first face all others in a single round robin. Then the round robin results will be used to seed a single elimination tourney. The inspiration of the last cattle raider standing will be presented with the prized highland cow. (Cattle trailer not required to win, fluffy prize is mini sized)

Cut & Thrust:

Tavern Brawl – Combatants begin seated with weapons in a scabbard or the like. Any off-hand or weapon unable to be worn hands-free on your person shall not be used.  Upon the marshall’s command, combatants may stand, draw, and begin the melee. The entrant with the most wins after a set amount of rounds will be the victor.

Cut & Thrust Championship – Our previous champion will be handing down the title of Cut and Thrust Champion of Glyn Dwfn! Demonstrate your martial prowess in this multi-style tournament and be proclaimed Baronial Champion.

Armor as Worn Tourney – Fighters, come bearing steel! As all rigid armor shall protect you from otherwise legal blows, our Armor as Worn Tourney will reward those who can find the weaknesses of their opponents.

ARTS & SCIENCES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome Soup – Friday evening festivities kicking off with our Welcoming Soup where we can warm your hearts and welcome you with delicious soup!!

Cow Pie Competition – In the Big Tent at 8pm we will have a Cow Pie competition! Awe the judges with your best cattle themed treat! Be it chocolate cow pies, or an edible cow diagram! Both sweet and savory entries accepted and every entry gets a coin. Winners get a gem each.

FAFO Garb Challenge – The SCA continues to grow in its inclusivity and FAFO (yes, it means what you think it means) is all about Queer Pride! Come represent your colors of the rainbow and show us your stuff! And by stuff we mean garb!

Mead Meet Competition – Calling all mead makers! This is a great competition for all those fermenting enthusiasts! At 9pm in the Small Tent.

Schenanigans Scribal – The scribes always look so sad, watching everyone else compete in tournaments and competitions, so we’re pitting them against one another, head to head in a battle to the death! … Or at least to the completion of some cool scribal artwork. Given a prompt, scribes will complete a new unique scroll, calligraphy, illumination, and all! Hijinks will ensue throughout the competition to keep entrants on their toes, and the completed scrolls will be submitted for the coronets’ approval at Sunday morning court. Bring your goache, bring your brushes, and bring your sense of humor for this new contest!

Classes:
10:30AM “Intro to Watercolor” taught by Elspeth Sifsdottr (Suggested Donation $5)
I will be teaching the basics of watercolor and color theory and doing a small painting of either the An Tir device or of the Summits.

11:30AM “Adventures in Gold Leaf.” taught by Elizabeth deGresse
Gold leaf doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. Join me in playing with gold leaf alternatives. No materials required.<

1:00PM “How to Make Coins: a Demo” Taught by Aram the Moneyer
I will be talking about dies and how they are made, the history minting in the SCA, and the materials used for coin.

1:00 PM (Tent 2) “How to make Ribbon Roses.” Taught by Elizabeth deGresse (Suggested Donation $5)
Learn how to make roses out of ribbon. All materials provided for 1 dozen roses. Class limit of 10.

2:00PM “Living Colors: Crafting natural dyes from your kitchen.” Taught by Aoibheall an Sionnach
Explore how to make your own period fabric dyes from common items in your kitchen and spice cabinet. (Youth friendly).

3:00PM “Living Colors: Crafting natural dyes from your backyard.” Taught by Aoibheall an Sionnach
Explore how to make period fabric dyes from lichens found in the PNW. We’ll discuss the lichen life cycle, their uses in dyeing and medicine, and ethical collecting methods.

Open Bardic – Come and be welcome ye bards one and all! Open Bardic will be held both Friday and Saturday. Those bards seeking a greater stage to perform may sign up for a turn as a roving bard during Saturday’s festivities and market!

RANGES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Archery:

Night Shoot – They mostly come out at night. Mostly.

Open Shoot – Prepare yourself for the wars to come!

Royal Rounds – Do your best to see how you stack up in the knowne world.

Archery Championship – Glyn Dwfn seeks a new archery champion!

Thrown – Open range all day until we get tired!

Siege – Do you want to learn how to operate siege weapons?

Do you want to learn the art of Siege Combat?

Do you want to be part of a siege crew?

Come join us!

YOUTH AREA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Please note that the Youth Area is not a babysitter, and parents will need to supervise their children while they participate in activities.)

DnD Session:

You’ve been hoofing it for many days through the wilderness before stumbling onto the town of Bov-ineville. The people are frantically running around looking around corners, under tables, inside houses, seeming to search for something. One of them runs up to you and looks into your eyes, their pupils shaking. “Have you seen them? Have you seen our Mayor???”

Come join this great 5th Edition D&D adventure and help the people of this weary village find their long lost Mayor.

Age: 12-17

The session will last about 2 hours and we will be running 2 different tables.

Each table can have about 4-6 players (first come first served)

Premade characters are available but feel free to make your own beforehand if you would like.

(Available reference books are Players Handbook, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. Players must all be at Level 4)

Loaner Dice Sets will also be available.

A tale of glory and heroism awaits you. Do you answer the call?

Youth Choir:

An hour of music wherein are found period songs suitable for youth bardic or youth having fun. In this class, singers will practice vocal technique, learn about period language and historical vocabulary, and stretch their musical muscles! Projected scope is 6 or 7 songs of easy to early intermediate difficulty, with room for more songs or greater interpretation if time allows. Come sing with us!

Hobby Horse Tutorial:

Tutorial on the making of hobby horses and hobby horse jousting equipment so that people running children’s events or kids and parents can make their own equipment for having fun!

If you bring your own stuffed sock / horse head on a stick we can help you decorate it in this class.

Hobby Horse Jousting Practice:

Practice jousting and other skills prior to the evening hobby horse tournament. Bring your own hobby horse or borrow one of the hobby horses available from the stable.

Hobby Horse Jousting Tournament:

Equestrians young and old will mount their mighty stuffed steeds and tilt at the rings and the static quintain for a chance to prove their skills. Populace are encouraged to bring their empty halves of coconuts to assist the riders in their endeavors.

Potion Making Class:

Double, double, toil and trouble! Youth will create their own custom glittery potions contained in glass and plastic vessels.

Maze Hijinks:

Tain Bo’s traditional maze is new and improved this year! Youth and not-so-youth will enjoy finding their way through the labyrinth, but watch out for the minotaur!

Waterfight:

If weather is amenable, the great Tain Bo waterfight will again be held in the twists and turns of the maze.

Open Boffers:

An area will be designated and boffers provided for youth to partake in a smashing good time with their friends.

We hope to see you there!