Re[2]: The Clatter of Armour in the Morning

[Kim.Salazar@em.doe.gov]

     Mikjal Annarbjorn asks about Ancient wars:

If I remember my history of the Pennsic Wars correctly, Pennsic VI was 
the first fought at Cooper's Lake, yes?  For those of us who've only 
been there in more recent times and who might well have different 
terms for the various landmarks, could Your Excellency please give the 
relationship of the area you describe in relation to the Barn and/or 
the lake?
     
     I reply:
     
     Please excuse the imprecision of this post.  You are correct.  Pennsic 
     VI was the first Coopers' Lake war.  Duke Dagan du Derragone 
     (spelling) of the Middle and his site selection committee found the 
     site, and reported back to Finnvarr (King of the Middle) and Fernando 
     that it could hold about 700 people, tops.  We asked Bishop Geoffrey 
     to confirm that, and he came back with the report that Dagan was 
     probably overestimating a bit.  (That the last War had more than 9,000 
     boggles my mind.)
     
     I'm afraid I don't know the "modern" names for the most of the roads 
     and areas.  Names became fixed after I stopped attending Pennsic.  For 
     example, the site I think of as Fernando's hill - the hill near the 
     pond down which he led the Eastern charge at VI, is now called 
     "Tuchuck Hill" for some reason unknown to me.
     
     The barn was at the top of what I think of as the main road.  There 
     was no merchants' quarter next to the barn. (There were no merchants.) 
     That area was a big corn field.  
     
     The road (then just a small footpath) ran roughly south and east from 
     the barn, bending around the campground offices (and in later days, 
     convenience store) and the shed containing the permanent bathrooms.  
     It crossed a creek and wound left from there over the ridge rise at 
     the top end of the main field, and continuing to the lower foot of the 
     main field.  There it narrowed and turned sharply around an outcrop; 
     finally joining the footpath that encircled the pond.
     
     At Pennsic VI, almost all of the people camped around the lower half 
     of this main road field.  Finnvarr camped on the western side along 
     the road.  For years after Dagan had his encampment more or less where 
     he and Finnvarr had stayed.  I don't know if he still camps there, but 
     wouldn't be surprised to find out that still attends, and sets up in 
     the same place.
     
     Fernando, Fleig, Niccorlyn, and I were camped at the center of the 
     crest of the hill overlooking the field.  Neither Finnvarr nor we had 
     a "royal encampment" with walls, households, attendants, guards, or 
     banners.   (Then) Master Vissevald, Fernando's sword-brother, was 
     nearby us, along with Caleb Hansson (Vissevald's Thane) and a couple 
     of other Carolingians.  There was no one in front of us.  
     
     As I mentioned, most everyone else was camped in a broad ring around 
     the main road field.  A few people set up in the woods near the pond, 
     and a couple of tents (I think they were Hoarde people) were in the 
     lower field immediately to the east of the pond but were asked to move 
     prior to the woods battle.  This area was unmowed, and sleeping there 
     must have been quite lumpy.  There were no people tenting in the upper 
     field next to the parked cars.  It was in this upper area that we were 
     to have the open field battle that never occurred (Fernando and 
     Finnvarr fought there instead).  
     
     The lands to the on the left of the barn as you entered the site were 
     entirely under corn.  People parked down the gravel access road past 
     the barn, near where the Coopers' Lake sign is, and where the RVs park 
     in non-Pennsic season.  The Pennsic VI woods battle never made it far 
     into the woods, and was mostly fought on the road that ringed the 
     pond.
     
     Other Ancients are invited to correct my now failing memory and supply 
     the current names for the places I cite.
     
     
     -Ianthe                                 kim.salazar@em.doe.gov