Title: Calon-Pavilon-msg
Subject: History and comments about the Kingdom of Calontir's purple pavilion. Also called the Calontir "living room", "purple pimple".
Author: Edited by Mark S. Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: SCA, Calontir, pavilion, living room, Lilies, Pennsic, kingdom

Calon-pavilon-msg - 2/19/12

History and comments about the Kingdom of Calontir's purple pavilion. Also called the Calontir "living room", "purple pimple".

NOTE: See also the files: Calontir-hst-msg, 16thC-pavilon-art, Middle-hist-msg, tent-fabrics-msg, tent-transprt-msg, tent-interior-msg, Select-a-Tent-art.

************************************************************************
NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************

From: Ted Eisenstein <alban at SOCKET.NET>
Date: May 16, 2011 9:53:50 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Calontir living room

<<< Is this "Calontir living room", the large, circular Calontir pavilion with the contrasting purple and yellow panels? >>>

Yup. Aka "the purple pimple" (to those too drunk to be polite), and "The Royal Paviion", although I have heard occasional rumors that people from other kingdoms find it  ....odd.... that a (in a very sacred voice) Royal Pavilion (tm) could be used for such a thing as a populace sing-along. 

<<< Is this the original pavilion? Or has there been a series of similar-sized and colored pavilions? >>>

The very first one, which I believe went to Calontir's first Pennsic-as-a-kingdom, was made by Baron Rolf (Hrolf? I never could understand Norse spelling.) of Three Rivers., he who was married to Swietaslova Yolanta Leczcyzcinska (Russian/Polish spelling is even worse), aka "Antie Sveetie".

There have been several others made over the years, as the previous one(s) detiorated from travel, weather, and hard living. Dunno how many. 

I was there when Hrolf presented it to Arwyn. It made quite an impressive THUMP! when it hit the ground. 

Alban, who's beginning to think he's been around too long, or else is achieving senility too soon because of his memory lapses. Maybe. He thinks. What was he talking about, again?

From: Kirk Poore <kirk at MEDIEVALOAK.COM>
Date: May 16, 2011 11:11:13 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Calontir living room

<<< Is this the original pavilion? Or has there been a series of similar-sized and colored pavilions?

 Stefan >>>

I believe we are on #6.  Baron Hrolf built the first one.  I led the team on the next three (with Thyri and Hrolf being the primary team members, and done in Hrolf's basement.)  Rhianwen led the teams doing the next two.  Fortunately, they last much longer now, since we went from ripstop nylon to nylon pack cloth.

Kirk

From: Kirk Poore <kirk at MEDIEVALOAK.COM>
Date: May 17, 2011 6:25:06 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Calontir living room

<<< Six?! Ansteorra and my Barony aren't that much newer (25-30 years old) but I don't think either has gone through that many pavilions.

Nylon? Not canvas? Is that to avoid fading problems with the purple? I have noticed that nylon deteriorates from UV light, whereas canvas has more problems with mold, if you fold and store it while it is wet or moist. Hemp canvas is much tougher and longer lasting than cotton canvas, but two to three times more expensive per yard in the US than cotton canvas. :-(

I seem to remember some decoration on the Calontir pavilion. Flor-de-les? Are these painted on or appliqued?

Stefan >>>

The first one lasted about six years, but it only came out at Pennsic and 2-3 weekend events a year.  The next 3 lasted about four years each, but they were doing Estrella, Lilies, and Pennsic plus the odd Crown Tourney.  Sun is not kind to ripstop nylon.  #5 lasted about 7 years I think, which included a week or so at each of Estrella, Gulf, Lilies, and Pennsic plus a couple of other events a year.  #6 is holding up strong.

The first pavilion was all purple.  With #2, we switched to 12 purple and four gold panels, with counterchanged crosses of Calatrava on them.  Shadan added the first lanterns at Pennsic 18.  The next winter (still in #2), I added the chandelier and the lantern box.  We got the trailer in the late 90's, and there was much rejoicing (except by Rhianwen--she can tell that story).   The pavilion stayed pretty much the same up to #5, when Rhianwen expanded it to 18 panels from 16.  Since that time we've also added side lantern hooks.

Rhianwen has actually made more RP's than anyone else, since she's also made one for Meridies and one for the Outlands.

Kirk

From: Joan Steurer <rhianwen at KC.RR.COM>
Date: May 17, 2011 6:35:02 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Calontir living room

Bess is right!  We've been using nylon because the tent is so large that it would be incredibly heavy and inconvenient if it were made of canvas.  I can't remember how much fabric is in it exactly (I only do that particular math about twice a decade), but at about 100 yards it would weigh nearly 400 pounds. 

The first few were made from ripstop nylon, and the last couple were out of packcloth (backpack material). 

They're also rode hard and put away wet (sometimes literally, unfortunately). The pavilion is up for the full duration of Pennsic, Estrella, Gulf, Lilies, and occasional other events.  The ripstop ones lasted a few years each, mostly due to sun degradation, and the packcloth ones seem to get seven years (Kirk, correct me if I'm wrong).  

The decorations vary.  Right now, there are alternating Calon Crosses and Falcons on the roof. Sometimes it's all crosses, and I'm not sure if the first one had embellishments.  They're appliquéd.

Rhianwen

On May 17, 2011, at 6:52 AM, SPaterson <sjpaterson at EASTLINK.CA> wrote:

----- Original Message ----- 
Six?! Ansteorra and my Barony aren't that much newer (25-30 years old) but I don't think either has gone through that many pavilions.

Nylon? Not canvas? Is that to avoid fading problems with the purple? I have noticed that nylon deteriorates from UV light, whereas canvas has more problems with mold, if you fold and store it while it is wet or moist. Hemp canvas is much tougher and longer lasting than cotton  canvas, but two to three times more expensive per yard in the US than  cotton canvas. :-(

I seem to remember some decoration on the Calontir pavilion. Flor-de- les? Are these painted on or appliqued?

Stefan
--------

I think, I do not *know*, but I'd bet rip stop is for the fact that it can often be put away wet and the weight factor does not break trailer axels...(and fading/sun damage is not as severe),

and they are not fleur de lis, ;) tsk-tsk, Stefan...think about it...;) Crosses of Calatrava :) appliquéd https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M9-N7X-tfZg/TYgtChIWfeI/AAAAAAAAAVU/Nee6MFSfEGE/s1600/Gulf+Wars+XX+253.jpg

Bess Darnley 

From: john heitman <gottskrieger at GMAIL.COM>
Date: May 17, 2011 11:56:06 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Calontir living room

As the first of many to be the pavillion wrangler (I had it for the
first three years, gave it to Conrad when he moved West as had the
Crown,  who gave it to Drx, who gave it to Kirk, who gave it to...).
 The first pavilion was solid purple with gold cord trim. The only
other major changes were the original center pole was a single solid
piece that was 16 feet long, and the ground stakes were not the nice
steel ones used today.  I think Kirk was the man with enough
intellegence to cut the damn thing in half effectively.

The dominant reason for the Ripstop nylon was weight and volume.  Per
Hrolf, he wanted a circular pavilion of a predetermined size. But he
wanted it to pack into relatively small considerations.  Therefore,
cloth thickness was the overriding parameter.   He also thought hard
about how to effectively fold a circular pavilion.  So he designed the
entirety using a parachute as the model. (for those who have never
taken it down, the original was folded like packing a parachute.)
Hrolf said he used ripstop parachute material both for the weight, and
so that rips would be more easily repaired, given the winds he knew it
would have to face. But most of all, he didn't want to be wrestling
tons of cloth around his sewing machine as he put it together.  It
also dried in only a couple hours instead of days.

The first time it was ever put up was in the Common Ground of Hrolf's
subdivision.  There was Hrolf, his wife, Me, Arwyn, and Brom.
(senility makes me think Damon too, but old age and head injuries make
it questionable).  It went up, came down, went in the back of my
truck, and was formally presented later.  And yes, dropping a duffle
bag full of parachute does kind of make a WHOMPFFF noise.  I THINK
formal presentation occured at the Official War Muster in B3R two
weeks before Pennsic XIII.  (too many of us spent the next week AT the
war to hold it then, even though back then the war was only two days
long. officially.)

For some reason, every time it went up those first three years, no one
was ever available who had helped put it up before. Generally, it was
because there were too few events it went to for the numbers to work.
But, for what its worth, it CAN be put up by a single person if he
knows how. Three is best, more than five is too many.

The worst part about the original pavilion was not the tent itself.
It was the stakes.  Hrolf didn't provide the nice steel ones we use
now.  He found three foot long, four inch diameter tapered WOODEN
stakes.  20 of them. At about 7-8 pounds each. They far outweighed the
tent itself, and "somehow" didn't make it into the formal presentation
of the tent.  They were a bear to drive in.  Wisely, someone made the
move to the steel ones after they left my hands.

Originally created as the Royal Residence, the "living room" tradition
started the last night of its maiden outing. Yes, Arwyn and Chepe had
used it for their personal quarters, but meeting space in the front
half. But they had ridden the Calontir Express, which pulled out
around 5 pm the last day of the war. There had been a small(?)
courtyard in front of the pavillion where everyone had gathered for
the beer the king had negotiated as payment for our alliance. Knowing
I had to pack everything the next day into my truck, I started packing
everything in the pavilion early that evening. I had most of the
personal items stowed and a lot of space had opened up.  That is when
the clouds rolled in.   Arwyn had said to let people in to see the
pavilion as it belonged to the kingdom, and was a great curiosity at
the time. Since people had been wandering in and out, the party just
sort of wandered into the closest place of size when it started to
rain.

Ferd, Damon, and I went out to check ropes when the tent started
twisting in the high winds.   That's when the "two stake over
diagonal" storm roping got added. It was more of a field engineered
response than a intentional early design. Without those ropes, even
the ripstop nylon would have torn from the stresses.

People stayed in the tent singing because there was the King's beer,
and literally nowhere else to go.  The storm in question flattened
almost every other tent still at the war.  The only two in Calontir
which stayed up were the Pavilion and my own (actually Fiondel's),
which had been set in the lee of the pavilion.  The fact that it still
stood made even more people come look at it the next day.

The one thing we learned that war was that ripstop nylon does NOT stop
UV rays. Arwyn got sunburned sitting INSIDE the pavilion.  Probably
one of the big reasons for the switch to pack cloth.

For the next three years, the only time the pavilion went anywhere was
when the Crown requested it. Pennsic, Interkingdom Peace with
Ansteora, and maybe one other trip.  I want to say Valor in '85, but
don't quote me on it. That would make sense, as it was a big event in
the home group of the Crown, and a bunch of Ansteorans came to play,
including their Crown, I think.  Since they brought their fancy, we
did too.  Total of eight trips in three years.  Of course, Pennsic was
the only war we went to, and Interkingdom Peace was something we
started that first year.  Not a whole lot of interkingdom activity at
the time.

After Pennsic, the pavilion was generally accepted as the place to
hang when the Crown wasn't in residence. Especially since the front
panels could be opened up and court could be staged effectively when
they were there.  And since we all seemed to set up near it...... the
open courtyard became the natural congregation point. And the payoff
war beer always got delivered to the courtyard of the King's
residence. And since every event seemed to have its own storm, things
always moved under the one place which could hold lots of people.

The Crown moved out permanently when Pavel entered at an inappropriate
time, and caught the queen in a questionable state of undress.  The
Crown turned the Pavilion over to the General Populace for their use,
but the name ROYAL pavilion was already well ingrained in the mind of
the kingdom.

As in most things, great tradition was born out of simple practicality.

Franz

<the end>

Edited by Mark S. Harris	Calon-pavilon-msg	 of