The household has a Baronial charter. It is not an official group of the SCA, Inc
Our motto: "Vivamus bene!"
This page was last updated 30 Jun 2002.
Skaalhalla - This is a monthly (or thereabouts) potluck, styled after the
Order of Good Times founded just down the road in Annapolis Royal. Each
family takes turns hosting the potluck at their house. It is garbed and we
sometimes have a special program, such as inviting another entire household
to come dine with us.
Events - Once in a while we'll autocrat an event for general SCA attendance.
These are _not_ household events, but _are_ official SCA events, sponsored
through our home Canton of Mycghalh. The only part that the household
plays is that the autocrat and all the sub-autocrats are members of the
household.
Harken unto us all good people and know that we, Andrew and Lyanna, Baron and Baroness Ruantallan, do herebie proclaim and decree:
1. That we recognize the household of Deerhaven; that its name be protected and reserved for its use alone; and that none may slander it with impunity;
2. That we grant unto house Deerhaven the right of autonomie in its own affairs; leave to assemble as it wille; and, that insofar as it shall enrich Our Barony, the freedome to form alliances with other Baronial households;
3. That we grant the members of house Deerhaven the privilege to engage in mercantile exchange within Our Barony without lette or hindrance;
4. That we grant house Deerhaven the rights of libertie in exchange for the
customarie service of two archers at each fighting of the Great Pennsic War,
or, in lieu, a scuttage of 40 marks for each; and
5. That we furthermore bestow unto house Deerhaven our protection and support, that their rights, privileges and obligations bee uphelde by alle, and grant that this charter bee renewed by our heirs and successors.
This we do by Our own hands this seventh day of October, Anno Societatus
XXX, whilst seated in court in Distant Shore upon this celebration of the
seventh anniversarie of Our Investiture.
Deerhaven is lucky to have its own private feasting hall at Master Henry's residence, Glengriev. It was compleated in December, 1996, and most of Deerhaven's activities have taken place there, since.
Here is a photo taken at our inaugural feast on 29 Dec 1996.
Deerhaven began back in the 1980's, when Henry had a cottage on the North
Mountain. It was on 20 rolling acres and boasted a field, lots of wooded
trails and a brook with two waterfalls. The cottage and lands were often used
for SCA activities and was called "Deerhaven".
Henry sold the cottage in 1990, but Deerhaven was to rise again. By 1993
there were a number of people in the Greenwood area interested in the SCA. We
were all friends and tended to "hang out" together, so it was natural to form
a household. Since the name and badge of Deerhaven were already registered,
we used that as the house name.
We also began having potluck dinners, usually about once a month. Each member of the household took turns hosting the potluck. It didn't take a genius to see that this resembled the Order of Good Cheer established by Champlain at Port Royal (which is about 45 minutes down the road from here). We began to call these dinners "Skaalhalla", which comes from the Danish toast, "Skaal!" (or "Cheers!") and the Norse word for a feasting or drinking hall, "Halla".
Think of it as the Hall of Good Cheer. Alternatively, think of it as "Cheers!", where everybody knows your persona's name :-)
(roughly in order of precedence)
Master Henry MacQueen
Master Edward Newman
Lady Angharad, OM (of Rowangarth)
Lady Elspeth of the Mayfaire, QOC
Lady Felicity "Blindshooter" of Wolfsgate
Lord Lord Sylvan Elkinson (of Distant Shore)
Lady Kaya (currently in An Tir)
Lady Isa (of Seashire)
Hrolf Vigossen
Menja Skiptahar
Bergthora Fallegur
Vladimir Petrovich (currently in An Tir)
Antony Marcus
Daven Longsword
Margaret du Shepherdsford
Alchinau (the bizarre)
Michael of Fores
Rand of Rookwall
Myfanwy (Bergental)
Volrad (Tangent) (Atlantia)
Unnr Fóta-Treðr (Eldomere)
Alex Tisserande (Bergental)
Laird Stuidhart Martainn Mac Dhomhnaill "The Great Scot" (Mountain Freehold)
Volrad, Unnr, Alex and Stu are apprenticed to Henry.
We are a geographical household. Anyone in the Canton of Mycghalh may consider themselves to be members of Deerhaven, if they so wish.
In addition, we open our house to members that we, as a household, agree
upon.
We demand no exclusive fealty... many of our house members are also members
of other households. We do try to encourage the sense of fun and
adventure that was the hallmark of the early SCA.
We seem to operate by consensus. Sometimes it's hard to tell. We all do
our share and things just magically get done :-)