Tournament of the Golden Swan

 

Event Summary

Event Main Contact (Event Steward): Kestral de GlynnEyrie
Date: October 5 , 2001 until October, 8 2001
Site opens at: 12:00 AM on October 5th 2001
Site closes at: 12:00 AM on October 8th 2001

Event site:
2001-10-05 Golden Swan Site
34231 - 91A St Oliver, BC

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Golden Swan is a persona development challenge for female personas.
It is sponsored by the Shire of Appledore in the Kingdom of An Tir
within the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), a world-wide
historical recreationist group. The first Golden Swan was held in
Kelowna, B.C. in 1984.

The purpose of Golden Swan is to foster knowledge of the lives of
women in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Its aim is not merely to
confine itself to women’s history and women’s issues, although these
will, of necessity, form part of the research most candidates will
do. A successful Golden Swan has acquired a level and depth of
understanding of what a woman’s life was like in a given time
period that may be unequalled even in the highest academic circles.

In addition, the candidate will need to have a certain amount of
acting ability, to be able to stay in persona for a period of 36
hours. The judges and event organizers try to create a supportive
atmosphere during the event for those undergoing the Golden Swan
competition.

Golden Swan is held on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend on
Oliver. B.C.

Applicants must submit an application to the Shire of Appledore
by July Coronation (mid-July) of the year in which they wish to
compete. This will consist of a general persona introduction (name,
age, date and place of birth, marital status, occupation or
occupation of father or husband, social standing, and any other
relevant information), and a general bibliography. Applicants
should also indicate which categories they intend to compete in
(see the links to the left). A more detailed application will be
required by September Crown (Labour Day) if the applicant has been
accepted.

Candidates enter 12 categories. Eight are mandatory: Persona
Development, Skills and Technologies, Costuming, Needlework,
Calligraphy, Everyday Life, Courtesy and Etiquette, and
Inspirational Behaviour. The candidate must also choose 4 out of
6 of the following: Games and Pastimes, Bardic, Dance, Survival
Skills, Habitat, Food.

Personas must be historically based, not just SCA. Documentation
is expected for the persona in general, as well as some minimal
level for each category. Educate the judges by providing them with
as much information as you can.

Entering Golden Swan requires a great deal of mental and emotional
preparation. We would prefer to turn a potential candidate away
early on, if it seems they will not succeed, than to have them
arrive at the event and fail. The more work we can do prior to the
event, to ensure that the total submission is up to standards, the
greater the candidate’s chances are of success.

Specific information and applications are available on-line. Olwen
Pen Aur has organized the judging and co-ordinated the timetable of
activities for the event in recent years. Please contact her for
more information about the competition and the event..

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