Glossary

The glossary presented here is nowhere near comprehensive; we've included terms that are likely to come up in a conversation or that might be confusing. Terms marked with an asterisk (*) are discussed in the body Of the pamphlet above; terms in italics are defined elsewhere in this glossary. And remember, this is mostly just for fun.

*Anachronism - Something out of proper time.
AoA/Award of Arms - A granting of permission for a young man to develop and wear his own Coat of Arms.
Apprentice - A person being trained by an expert in one of the arts or sciences.
A/S - Arts and Sciences.
Autocrat - Event chairperson.
Baron/ess - The ceremonial head of a barony, who represents the Crown.
Barony - A large local group or cluster of smaller local groups. See also canton/march/riding.
canton/march/riding - A small local group that is part of a larger umbrella group (Barony or Province).
*Chirurgeon - A person certified to be trained and qualified to administer first aid.
Chivalry - The knights and masters-of-arms as a collective body.
*Clear! - A call used to indicate a blade or weapon is being drawn safely for display.
Consort - The companion of the Sovereign who rules the kingdom or Shire; see also Queen, Baroness, Countess, etc.
Coronation - The event at which the new King and Queen or nobles are crowned.
Count/ess - A person who has been King or Queen once; there are several equivalent terms.
*Court - An assembly or ceremony presided over by the King and Queen (or their representative) at which awards are presented and announcements are made.
*Crash - To stay overnight as a guest in crash space.
*Crash space - Overnight accommodations at the home of a friend or sometimes on site at an event; usually free or very inexpensive.
Crown - 1) The King and Queen; 2) Of, pertaining to, or representing the King and/or Queen; 3) the Crown Tournament.
Crown Tournament - a large event featuring a combat tournament. The winner of this becomes Sovereign (King), and names a (preselected) Consort (Queen).
*Demo - Demonstration, an educational talk or exhibition presented by guild members as a public service to, or on behalf of, an organization or group of people. Examples would be demos for schools, at civic events, as fund-raisers, etc.
Duct tape - Also called silver tape or sword tape, this wonderful stuff almost literally holds the realm together. It is used to wrap our boffer swords and make repairs to virtually everything. Buy big rolls on sale!
Duke/Duchess - A person who has been King or Queen, Sovereign or Consort at least twice.
*Event - An official House gathering
*Feast - A medieval dinner cooked by members and served at an event to our guests.
Feast gear - Dinnerware.

Person attending a feast generally bring plate, bowl, mug or goblet, knife, spoon, candlestick, napkin, etc.

*Fighter - One who trains in a form of simulated medieval combat. Authorized fighters are considered safe to themselves and to their opponents.
Flyer - A brochure or circular that describes an event.

It usually includes prices, a schedule of planned activities, telephone numbers of contact people, and maps and directions.

*Garb - Medieval or Renaissance clothing and accessories.
Guild - A special interests group formed to practice and teach an art or science.
His/Her Highness, Their Highnesses - The Prince and Princess.
Hold! - A call used to halt all activity, especially combat, in an unsafe situation.
Household - The basic club unit
King - The man who, with the Queen, heads the Kingdom. in most cases, he is King by Right of Arms as the winner of the previous Crown Tournament.
Kingdom - The highest territorial and administrative division, often comprising several states and/or provinces.
Knight - A fighter who excels in combat (preferably SPIRITUAL), behaves chivalrously, is competent in some art or science, and has been awarded Knighthood after proving himself a Godly man through his training in the Faith and Knowledge of the Word of God. An alternate award is Master Of Arms, also given by the Crown. Neither is a synonym for fighter.
*Lady - A woman or girl. M'lady or milady is a polite form of address to any female. My Lady may mean my girlfriend or my wife." As a title (Lady Maud Of Snigglefritz), it distinguishes a woman or girl who has received an AoA.
Lists - Always plural, the term designates the border of the field on which a tournament is held, and by extension the field itself and the roster of fighters who take part in it.
Lord - A man or boy; analogous terms are M'lord or milord. See Lady.
His/Her Majesty, Their Magesties - The king and Queen; the Sovereign and Consort.
Marshal - A combat referee. Marshals monitor all combat activities, inspect equipment, and have overall responsibility for the safety of fighters and spectators.
Master/Mistress - Title given to a lord or lady who excels in at least one art of science, has given an extraordinary level of service, and has been awarded an accolade of arms; usually a guild leader.
Melee (Norman French, pronounced meh-Lay) - A battle, usually of teams of fighters.
*Merchant - One who sells goods, usually at events. Many merchants take checks; a few take credit cards.
Mundane - 1) of or pertaining to the 20th-century world as opposed to the internal medieval world; Example: mundanes = street clothes.
Oyez! (Norman French, pronounced oh-YAY) - Translates as "Listen" It is a call used by heralds and others to command attention in a group.
Peer - A Knight or Master or Mistress (of Arms, the Laurel, or the Pelican), a count/ess, or a Duke/Duchess.
*Period - Authentic; of or pertaining to the historical period of interest, approximately 600 to 1600 AD.
*Persona - A fictional character that one develops and assumes. Some develop very detailed personas, determining by in-depth research, what the character would have worked, where the character would have lived, thought, and so forth. Some only choose a culture and invent a name.
Prince/Princess - 1) The winner of Crown Tournament and his or her consort, before they are crowned King and Queen; 2) the heads of a Principality.
Principality - A large division within a Kingdom, ruled by a Prince and Princess. Many of the current existing Kingdoms began as principalities. Not every area is part of a principality, however.
Queen - The female head of a Kingdom; see also King.
Rattan - The fibrous, woody, bamboo-like plant used to make advanced tournament weapons. In its natural form it has about the same weight per unit length as steel, does not break easily, and does not form sharp edges upon breaking.
*Revel - The evening's activities at an event, generally following feast and court. It usually includes dancing and music.
Royalty - The King, Queen, Prince, and Princess.
Shire - An autonomous local group, not part of a barony.
*Site - The physical location at which an event is held.
Sovereign - Gender-neutral term for winner by right of arms of Crown Tournament.
Squire - A boy who has entered into a formal training to become a knight and begins a service relationship with a Knight.
*Steel - Metal weapons, such as swords and daggers.
Stick-jock (Sword-jock) - A fighter, especially one with a little interest in other medieval activities. (Their only interest is in tournaments!)

(Generally not a compliment and not welcome in House Gryphonheart.)

Tanist - Synonym for Prince; equivalent for Princess is Tanist's Consort.
*Tournament (tourney) - An organized, structured combat activity, occurring at an event and having winners and losers. Sometimes informally used synonymous to event.
Troll - Registration officer at an event; trollbooth is the registration table. The trollway, however, is a turnpike or pay-highway road.
*Tunic - A basic medieval garment, worn by both sexes and all classes form before 500AD until well into the 14th century, and even later by the lower classes. Often called T-tunics from the shape, they come in various lengths, fabrics, and degrees of fullness. T-tunics are often worn in several layers for both sexes, over skirts for women, or over hose or loose pants for men.
*Waiver - A release form wherein a participant in an activity acknowledges and assumes any associated risks.

Anyone attending an event must sign a waiver. Fighters sign a combat waiver as well.

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