Kane & Muirgen

["William L. Palmer II" <baubai@flash.net>]

Poster: "William L. Palmer II" <baubai@flash.net>

I write here to tell tales of  my friend and teacher, Kane, and his Lady
Muirgen, as many of you on this list have done.  Our stories are incredibly
intertwined.  I began playing SCA in April, 1987 at the Baronial birthday
for Hidden Mountain with only the knowledge that the SCA was a historical
society.  Almost immediately, I was introduced to this huge muckin' guy who
was introduced to me as their champion, and I was told of  a great
tournament he  had won only a few weeks before at a war or something (Fool's
War, I know now).  I had no idea that the SCA even had fighters.  A few
weeks later at a business, this same guy stood up and asked for a
"co-autocrat" for Silver Chalice.  Wanting to get involved, but not really
knowing what I was getting into, I caught him afterward and volunteered.  He
gratefully took my hand and proclaimed me co-autocrat and thus began a
wonderful relationship. Within a week he called me up and started training
me to fight.  Of course I had gone to fighter practice by this time, but he
started objectively training me blow by blow.  We practiced until I kept
tennis elbow for months.  
	Kane at the time was a bouncer for various titty bars around Charleston.  I
would go where he was working with my wiffle bats and he would teach me in
the parking lot until two or three in the morning while he carded people on
the way in.  Occasionally we would go in, I think just so he could hit me on
the head and tell me to pay attention.  Funny how fights never broke out
while we were practicing.
 	Kane started to teach me about court.  He explained about court manners
and titles and what courtesies were expected----and which ones were not.
It was his patience that brought me from newbie to gentleman, and novice to
champion, but I digress.
	At the time, there were serious rifts in our barony---some, I am sure, that
still exist.   I was quickly told that I spent time with Kane----who at the
time really was Black Kane to the rest of our barony.  Stubborn and
independent enough to choose my own path, I chose to play with Kane.  In
time we traveled, Kane, Sebastiano and me to other fighter practices like
Windmaster's Hill where Kane was not so black, hell, he was greeted like a
hero and treated like an honored guest.  Kane encouraged me to go and travel
and meet as  many people as possible, and to cross even more swords as often
as possible.  It was through Kane that I met Atlantia---the rest of it.
	In July there was a southern war college at Lynch's River ( the old Sea
Wars Site), and Kane told me that he was bringing his new girlfriend to her
first event   Only days before he had one of the famous sleepovers of his
friends from the navy.  Everyone would come to his house after a grand night
at the titty bar and crash at his house.  We would tease him and call them
his "boat people."  After this one night, everyone was so hung over that
they had turned down the sound on the Saturday kung fu show because it made
their head hurt.  However, someone filled in the dubbing with a nice
southern accent for the monks on the show, "we're from shaolin----we're
gonna f**K you up"  "Oh, hell boys--they're from Shaolin, they're gonna f**K
us up!!"   "you'd better run!!"  Hell I'm goin' right now!!"
The noise apparently got loud enough that the hangovers got worse and it had
to be cured by more beer.
	At the event, my wife and I got to meet Sally for the first time.  Later
Kane told me that he and Chuck, one of the "boat people" went to the only
place around Lynch's River to buy beer, an old tavern.  Upon walking inside,
one of the locals looked at the two large guys (Chuck was big enough to be
Kane's little brother) in medieval costume and asked with a backwood slur,
"hoo 'r yoo" to which Chuck replied in the same backwood accent, "We-ere
swordd fahters!"  Kane said he knew what was coming next: "were from
Shaolin--" at which point he slapped his hand over chuck's mouth and said,
"We're here to buy beer!!"  In the meantime, poor Sally was outside with
troubles of her own.  It seems that one of the locals was outside of the car
admiring her dress.  I suppose that it must have been a bit unnerving for
someone who had never freaked the mundanes before to have a redneck at a
podunk bar come up to your car and go, " who--ee!  Gee, hunny! You shore are
purty in that there dress!"  Fortunately, she was soon rescued by our hero
and taken back to a more normal society.
	Later that night, I got to watch my teacher receive a Sea Stag from King
Daffyd and Queen Elizabeth.  I remember feeling so proud for him.
	Sally was actually more of a help for Silver Chalice that I could have ever
been.  With her experience as a restaurant and club manager, it was only
fitting that her skills of organization would bear fruit in the SCA.  Those
skills helped often as she traveled with Kane and learned how the fabric of
our society was woven.  By mid September, we found ourselves in a small
restaurant in Virginia after the Fall Hunt where she told me of the research
she had done on Irish names, and how she thought she might use the name
Muirgen.  Unique, I thought.  I had no idea.
	On my one year anniversary of playing SCA, the Barony added its champion
tourney to its birthday celebration.  For weeks Kane had pushed me to
compete.  He drilled me endlessly and taught me how to make a presentation.
He encouraged me to create something for the A&S competition and to enter as
many of the competitions as possible.  He talked to me of duty and explained
to me that being a champion had little to do with my skill on the field.  It
had more to do with being a Noble and ambassador for our Baron.  Ironically,
I won, but my education didn't stop there--
	I spent my first twelfth night with them as we traveled to Sir Alfred's
house in Lochmere.  After arriving on site, Muirgen discovered that the
feast hadn't exactly been prepared, and worse yet, there weren't adequate
tools to do so.  Borrowing my pocketknife, she proceeded to butcher all of
the chickens for the feast.  Imagine that, with a pocket knife.
	 The next year brought many changes to Hidden Mountain, including the need
for a new pair of Coronets.  The decision was made at Twelfth night in
Sacred Stone, where we were told that Kane and  Muirgen would be the next in
line.  I remember meeting Achbar for the first time as he fondled Kane's Sea
Stag medallion and asked what it was for.  I couldn't help telling him that
it was for fighters who sucked up just to see Kane's face.  Perhaps this was
why he pushed for me to get one, too.  However, with the retiring of the old
baron, Kane and Muirgen kept me as their champion and later as their bard.
	It was amazing how many things changed and moved with the two of them on
our thrones!  so many things grew and became wonderful.  Kane and I squired
to the same knight, which brought us even closer, but only for a while.
Soon, our knight left Atlantia and we were left to our own devices .
However, Sacred Stone had a new baron to anoint and we were given word that
Kane would be knighted.  How proud I was!  I dressed nicely that morning for
the ceremony because, as his squire brother, I was to lead him to his place
of vigil.  I felt bad that morning that I had to lie to Kane because he
spotted me before the tournament and asked why I wasn't dressed to fight.  I
told him that my stomach hurt.
	 Lupus had instructed me on the vigil setup.  I had arranged the belt and
spurs, and our brother Gerald had our Knight, Eric's, chain with which to
knight Kane all laid out.  We had prepared the baptismal water with ice,
just like we were instructed.  I almost cried when King Olaf had Kane called
off of the fighting field.  I brought the water and watched Kane gasp from
the cold before they clothed him in his white supplicant's tunic and I led
him off.   I stood quietly with my brothers, Gerald and Ackbar as the other
knights came and talked to him.  I remember Sit Thorbrand telling him that
he wore his chain constantly, reminding him that being a knight and its
values extended much further than the weekend or SCA life.  I remember Sir
Cedric telling Kane that he had nothing left to prove.  All had already been
judged at that point and that he was indeed worthy.  He also spoke of the
magic that being a knight brought back into the SCA.
I remember King Olaf teaching Kane how to make maximum noise with his spurs
later on in the hall.
	My only regrets with Kane is that when he finally did win the crown, my own
life was too tumultous to be there for him.  I am so sorry Kane.  I had
always hoped to be there next time.
	We joked about going to Estrella when we were all dukes in duct tape and
carpet armor to be incognito.
	He told me of a battle when he was young to be fought over a lady.  After
the lady offered him oral favors to fight for her, he went to his mentor,
Thrain, and, surprised  at the proposition told him of it, to which Thrain
replied, "hell, I sent her to you!"
	It was Kane who gave me my first chiropractic adjustment and introduced me
to the doctor who is now my mentor.  It was because of him that I am
studying my chosen profession now.
	Once I had a treasured cat whose neck was broken by dogs that got in my
yard.  I cried when Kane told me that those with big hearts have big hurts.
God, how right.
	All I know now is that I have huge hole inside where my largest friend used
to be.

Roland O'Donnell
"Only those who attempt the truly absurd can achieve the impossible"--Cervantes

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