Title: games-SCA-msg
Subject: games for SCA events.
Author: Edited by Mark Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: game, action, SCA, activity, sport. entertainment

games-SCA-msg - 7/4/08

Games for SCA events.

NOTE: See also these files: games-msg, games-SCA-msg, sports-msg, darts-msg, golf-msg, taverns-msg, hunt-spears-msg.

************************************************************************
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.

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Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: sclark at epas.utoronto.ca (Susan Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Things to do
Date: 17 Jan 1994 19:59:42 -0500
Organization: EPAS Computing Facility, University of Toronto

	Why not program things that both kids and adults can do, such as
quests and other such games?
	The canton of Bryniau Tywynogg put together a marvelous trading
game for twelfth Night this past weekend.  everyone was given a bag
full of various commodities, with a prize going to the mst successful
trader (our Principality seneschal won, BTW.  She was GOOOOD.)
Both kids and adults were having great fun.  All the things in the bag were
also edible or useful, so if you didn't win, you had a snack or
beads for a necklace.
	This would get rid of the problem of putting together kids' activities
and then only having one or two show up....

Cheers!
Nicolaa/Susan
Canton of Eoforwic
sclark at epas.utoronto.ca

From: ian at eric.stonemarche.org (ian gunn)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: chess at events
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 94 14:07:06 EST
Organization: ENTROPY

Greetings!

        I have been experimenting with a different format for games 
tourneys at events.  I thought the good folk of the rialto might be 
interested and I would like their comments.
        I had several purposes in mind when I came up with this format.  
I wanted to encourage people to try a variety of different medieval board 
games particularly chess with a period rules set.  I wanted it to allow 
for people to enter into the tourney at most any time so that those who 
had other duties could still partake of the tourney if they wished.  This 
would also elevate the problem of getting all of the participants in one 
place near the same time for a single-elimination style tourney.  These 
goals could be meet by just providing games and teaching people but I 
would count on the competative spirit drawing in a greater number of 
participants, thus a tourney.
        Toward these ends I came up with what I call a challenge tourney. 
During the event anyone interested can challenge another at a game toward 
the tourney.  The challenged party then has the right to choose the game 
to be played.  The results of the game are then brought to the judge who 
records them.  Later in the day the judge selects a set of finalist by 
wining percentage or total net wins or some other method.  the finalist 
then play in a single elimination tourney of chess using a period rules 
set.  The chess rules to be used are noted earlier and people are 
encouraged to use them in the opening part of the tourney for some games. 
Other rules to consider are a minimum number of oponents to qualify for 
the finals to encourage as many as are interested to play a game or two, 
a limit on the number of times the same game with the same opponent would 
count toward the tourney to encourage the playing of different games, and 
perhaps a minimum number of games played.
        I make no claim that this format is in anyway period.  I designed 
it to work well with the conditions at our events.  I would like to do 
some more research into how chess and other game tourneys were done in 
period but I must confess that up until now I have not.  If I find a 
period style games tourney that meets some of my conditions I will try it 
as well.  Any sources that you can provide me with are welcome.
        So far I have had this run at two events with some success.  At 
the first I was autocrating the event and a friend ran it.  There were 
about a dozen or more peolple, mostly younger folk, out of about an 
attendance of 100 or so who enjoyed the tourney.  The were not interested 
in chess but enjoyed the variety of games available.  The second time I 
ran it at a large event, It was this past weekend.  Unfortunatly I was 
wearing to many hats to give it the attention it deserved and so were the 
other members of our local group ( that's what we get for hosting a 600+ 
person event with a 300 on board! ).  Still, about 8 gentles enjoyed 
themselvs with the games and had even played with the period chess rules.
        I look forward to hearing your comments on this.

                                In service to the society,

                                Ian Gunn

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: albion at castle.ed.ac.uk (D J B Hunter)
Subject: Re: Things to do
Organization: University of Edinburgh
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 1994 15:20:00 GMT

In article <2ghi4b$pk8 at news.ysu.edu> ae766 at yfn.ysu.edu (David Sanders) writes:
>  I have rarely seen physical games
>done at an event (no, not that kind! They're rather common).  And to add a bit
>which will help people meet each other, perhaps partnered  or team games might
>require that partners or teams be made up of persons who don't know each other.
>In man/woman games, each participant might seek out a member of the opposite
>sex who they don't know, but would like to meet, thus adding a bit of real
>flirting to the game.

We often have a high proportion of relative newcomers at events
(probably because we're University based) and we have found games are
a good way to get more people involved in more things!

First there's active games such as tierce (a chasing game), blind man's
bluff, cushion combat or Jenny Pluck Partner's (a simple dance game on 
the principle of musical chairs). None of these require previous
knowledge or particular ability, and you can play as seriously or
foolishly as you wish.

Second are 'table' games such as nine man's morris or tablero de jesu.
We have made up several sets of boards and counters which are left out
on the feast tables, and if someone has a spare moment they will ask a
newcomer to play. The rules are easy to grasp, and often the new person
will then go on to challenge and teach others. Another good game for this
is mai-ja (damn, forget the spelling) which is a bluffing game with dice
that takes moments to learn but provides endless fun. Most of these you
could pursue while lending half an ear to court, if you wished.

Third, we often have "conversation" games which are a great way to give
people something non-mundane to talk about, and good for getting people
to mix as well, and they can go on as a background activity throughout
an event. For example, everyone will be secretly assigned an animal
and their object is, through judicious discussion, to identify their
"mate", find their "prey", and avoid being found by their "predator". Or
in a similar vein, each person is half of an Arthurian "couple", and has
to find the other half but without anyone else being able to guess who
they are. These usually work really well: some people make complex and
clever efforts to extract information, while those who have other things
to attend to can participate minimally. They can also allow those so
inclined to flirt outrageously without the risk of being taken seriously
or causing real offence (a good leading line from the "animal" game,
which includes mythical creatures: "I hear you are fabulous, my lord").

It probably helps that our events tend to be small (around 30), local
(hardly anyone gets to Scotland) and have minimal formal business. But
I'm sure most of the above could be adapted to help the enjoyment of
those with no direct involvment in the main event activities; we've
started games at Principality/Kingdom events to keep ourselves
entertained on several occassions.

Get in touch if you want more details on any of the above,

Caitlin de Courcy
Harpelestane
(Edinburgh, Scotland)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: gregsta at microsoft.com (Gregory Stapleton)
Subject: Re: RE:Alternative Tournament Formats
Organization: Microsoft Corp.
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 1994 12:44:49 GMT

Went to "An Inn On The Road" this past weekend where we had a Boffer
weapons tourney.  The theme was to make a boffer that looked like
something that would be found inside an inn.  For example, I made
a soft sculpture "Ham" and stuffed it with pillow stuffing.  There were
also fish, loaves of bread, bratwurst, soft swords and daggers, etc.

We had a controlled "Free-For-All" and the men and women who participated
had a fantastic time!  One thing that I thought was great, and a very good
reflection on the people playing, was that by unspoken agreement, if anyone 
moved to the outskirts of the "battle" for a breather, they were left alone
and no one tried to boff them until they rejoined the battle.

The winner of the tournament was the person who made the best boffer weapon.
The winner, and very deserving she was, was a Lady who had made dozens of
"fruit" out of cushion foam and had then spray painted them.  Her
watermelon pieces were just fantastic!  She won a life-size, soft-sculpture
tavern wench that was made for the event.

Yours in Service,

Gawain Kilgore
Canton of the Sacred Stone
Barony of the Sacred Stone
Kingdom of Atlantia
(MKA: gregsta at microsoft.com)

From: kay at unx.dec.com (Paul Kay)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: FLIRTING GAMES
Date: 29 Dec 1994 19:42:45 GMT
Organization: OrgFreeware

malmberg at badlands.NoDak.edu (Kenric D Malmberg) writes:
> Cathyn Bluesword wrote:
> [snipped]
> : Other than the afore-mentioned cloved fruit (NOT CLOVEN!  Cloven means
> : to be cut, not studed with cloves.  Sorry, just a pet-peeve of mine), 
> : there is always Clench-a-Wench (the MOST dangerous game in the SCA).  
> : Sometimes called (I think) Miller in the Middle?  Additionally, if 
> 
> Cathyn,
>      I'm not familiar with Miller in the Middle.  Is it a dance?  If not, 
> can you post the rules?  Thanks.

While I am not Cathyn, maybe I can help.  There are actually 2 games that I
learned here, not the one Cathyn seems to think.

First is Clench-a-Wench.  If you remember the kids game with 2 teams and a
bone, you have a start point for this game.  You devide the group up by sex
and count off using numbers for one side and letters for the other.  Someone
is chosen to sit in the middle (as the bone is placed in the middle in the
childrenss game).  This person then calls off a number and a letter. (Here it
gets complicated, so I will type slowly :*))  The people called by
number/letter are now in a race.  Using M as the person in the middle, S as
someone as the same sex as M, and O as someone of the opposite sex of M we
see O, the member of the opposite sex as M (the person in the middle),
attempts to get to M and kiss them before S, their opponent, can kiss them,
O.  If O kisses M, then S goes in the middle.  The aleternate is that either
M stays in the middle or O takes their place (sorry, its been years).
WARNING:  This can become very rugby like very quickly.

The second game mentioned, Miller in the Middle, is more like musical chairs
(musical lips?).  Starting with an set of lords and ladies where the
difference between the number of each is 1 (e.g. 9 lords and 10 ladies),
select a member from the subset with the surplus (in this example a lady)
and put them in the middle, they are the miller.  The rest of the people
should form 2 concentric rings around the miller in the middle.  The inner
ring should be of the opposite sex as the miller (lords in our example)
facing out, the other ring is the same sex as the miller (ladies) facing in.
Now get a friendly recorder player to play a sprightly tune.  The rings
process while doing a double brasle, so that they move around in the circle
to their left as time passes (bigger steps to the left than to the right so
the circles _move_. Alternately, just do the single side as in the Official
Brasle.)  When the music stops, and it should deliberately stop at some
random point, everyone attempts to kiss someone of the opposite sex.  The
one standing alone is the new miller.
WARNING: this is a kiss, not an invitation to check for tonsils!

As for flirting, I have found most dances that change partners as a great
way to flirt.  As someone once pointed out - gatherings were rare when
travel was hard.  Most daces provide a way to meet others.  That was one of
the functions - to allow young folks to meet.  You just have to use it.

	Bart Knowleys (the Bewildered)
	Carillion, East
--
	Paul Kay				kay at unx.dec.com
	Digital Equipment Corporation		sysv::kay
	Manalapan, NJ (UNX)			(908) 577-6076 (DTN 462)

From: henrys at winternet.com (The Henry's)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: FLIRTING GAMES
Date: 29 Dec 1994 18:50:25 GMT
Organization: StarNet Communications, Inc

Here's how we play "Miller in the Middle" around here (Barony of 
Nordskogen in the Midrealm).  Think "Musical Chairs" minus the chairs and 
plus a lot of flirting!

First, you must assemble your people.  There must be one less gentleman
than there are ladies.  The ladies make a circle, facing out.  The
gentlemen make a circle around them, facing in.  The extra gentleman is
"It" and stands in the center of the circle of ladies.  Then, the music is
started up.  While the music is going, the men and the women skip around
in their separate circles.  When the music stops, each gentleman must find a
lady and embrace her.  (This may or may not include kissing.) This game
can also be played with the ladies taking the active role.  In that case,
there would be one less lady than there are men, the men would make the
inner circle, and so on.

That's all there is to it.  It is quite amazing how long this simple game 
can last even when the participants are being (fairly) civilized!  (I 
much prefer the version of this game that does NOT include clenching.)  I 
remember one epic game that went on for an hour and a half or so.  Just 
about everyone at the event took part, even people who hadn't played this 
game for years.  And, speaking from personal experience, this game is 
ALMOST as much fun for the music provider as it is for the dancers.

There is evidence that kissing games are period but, of course, my stuff 
is all at home and I am at work!

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
l                                       "The man that hath no music     l  
*                                          in himself,                  *
l  Rosanore of Redthorn                  Nor is not moved with concord  l
*  henrys at icicle.winternet.com             of sweet sounds,             * 
l  Mem. #8769 since '76 w/o lapse.       Is fit for treasons,           l
*                                          strategems and spoils;..."   *
l                                                         Shakespeare   l
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

From: sm at teleport.com (Scott A. MacHaffie)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: FLIRTING GAMES
Date: 2 Jan 1995 09:45:46 -0800
Organization: Teleport - Portland's Public Access (503) 220-1016

Here is a Scottish dance called "Babbity Bowster":

"The company was arranged in a circle, and one man whom we shall call
the leader danced round within this circle carrying a handerkerchief
or, as it must have been originally, a cushion (bolster, or in Scots,
bowster).  This he placed on the floor opposite the lady of his choice
and invited her to kneel with him upon it, but facing him so that they
could kiss.  This done, they rose and walked round in file or arm-in-
arm, until the lady threw the handkerchief at some man of her choice.
This man now lifted the handkerchief and ran after the lady, who gave
some show of resistance, and casting the handkerchief round her neck,
he kissed her.  In some regions he forfeited the kiss if the lady had
already managed to link arms with the previous man.  Then it was this
second man's turn to continute the procedure and so on until all were
on the floor or until there was room for no more.  Finally, all joined
in a ring with the later person "lifted" standing in the middle with
the handkerchief.  This person now selected and kissed someone of the
opposite sex, kneeling as before, then left the ring.  This procedure
continued until only a few or no dancers were left.  Then all took
partners for a final reel."

Emmerson, George S., "A Social History of Scottish Dance--Ane Celestial
Recreation", McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal and London, 1972,
p.133.
-- 
sm at teleport.com  Public Access User --- Not affiliated with TECHbooks
Portland, Oregon, where summer is the nicest half-hour all year

From: crouchet at eden.com (james crouchet)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: FLIRTING GAMES
Date: 2 Jan 1995 19:51:26 GMT
Organization: Adhesive Media, Inc.

We also play a version of Blind Man's Bluff that is fun. I any of you 
haven't played Blind Man's Bluff, it goes like this:

Start in a large open space.  This CAN be played inside, but make sure 
you have a space with NO obstacles. One person is IT.  You blindfold IT 
and spin them around once or twice.  Then everyone backs away and the 
game starts.  The object is for IT to catch someone, who then becomes IT 
for the next round.

Additions: These things can make the game more fun.

 - Give bells to many of the players.  This gives IT something to focus on.

 - We like to tease IT by touching him/her on the arm or back, calling 
out and ringing our bells at various times.

 - In the most flirtatious version you must IDENTIFY the person you grab 
(a description or a name is ok) by touch.

Once again, a few safety rules:

 - When HOLD is called, all action stops.

 - Do not punch, pinch or poke one another. This gets un-fun very quickly.

 - It is very tempting to pick at the long hair of IT, or to grab long 
hair if you are IT.  Don't do it.  Even just picking can get your rings 
or fingers caught in the hair accidently. Leave the hair alone.

 - It is everyone's responsibility to keep IT from running into things. 
Call HOLD if needed.

 - Curling up on the floor is NOT a valid method of escape. This may 
sound crazy, but when kids play with adults they like to do this and it 
usually works for them. Problem is every now and then one gets stepped on...

 - Every one must stay inside the playing area during the game. If IT 
chases you to the edge and you can't get away, just accept getting caught.

 - Avoid violent hand movements. IT tends to be the worst about this. I 
have seen a few people smacked hard in the face by a hand trying to catch 
someone else. ITs who are about to do this often act like they are on 
Kung-fu, so watch for them.

- When you are caught, give up.  The object is not to overpower the other 
person. Even a 9 year-old should be able to catch the biggest stick jock 
in the bunch.  If not, you are playing it wrong.

Most of these rules are common sense, but you may want to go over them 
before the action starts.

This simple child's game takes on a whole new life when played by 
consenting adults. We have had epoch games lasting 2 hours where people 
joined and left as the game went on, everyone from newbe to crown joined 
in and we all ended up stripped as far as was decent in spite of an 
outdoor game in cool weather.

And that reminds me -- have you ever heard of SkyLarking?...

Savian

From: Griff Griffith <griff>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Tablero Rules???
Date: 19 Jun 1995 16:04:39 GMT
Organization: iNTEL

doug_brunner at hp-corvallis.om.hp.com (Doug Brunner) wrote:
>	I make wooden game cases, here in An Tir. Over the last weekend,
>we did the Kriegstriber Faire. I had several inquiries about Tablero. I have 
>some familiarity with the board,but I have no real concept of the rules. I've
>even heard of a version called "ANARCHIST". 
>
>	Does anyone have the actual rules, written down, for this game? 
>I'd like to manufacture some nice cases for it. And, since it's a Drinking Game,
>I'll probably make them out of something that's hard to do damage to. 
>
>My thanks, in advance,
>
>Bruno vonBrunner
>Woods Crafter/Merchant

If this is an interest, you might want to talk to Brian of Black Torq,
in Dragon's Mist - he's made several boards as gifts... a rather talented
young man.... He might be able to advise about what *not* to use?

					- Cyrus
-- 
:Richard E. Griffith, "griff" : iNTEL, Hillsboro Ore.
:griff at ibeam.intel.com
:SCA!: The Right Honorable Lord Sargeant Cyrus Hammerhand, GdS
:      Squire to Master Grendal, Member - House Black Torc
:      Rivers Regional Marshall, Dragon's Mist, An Tir 

Ok - 

 Tablero di Gucci is played on a 7x7 board.  What is required is 7
shot glasses a pair of dice, and 2 beers for each player.  An Tir
maintains that playing this game with anything stronger than beer is
asking for alcohol poisoning.  I've heard rumours of those who have
attempted it, most of those end with the player passing out, getting
sick, etc.

  Play is begun by setting up the board with three glasses on each
side of the board, and the odd glass set in the center square.

         +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
         |X|X|X| | | | |   baseline
         +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
         | | | | | | | |
         +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
         | | | | | | | |
         +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
         | | | |X| | | |
         +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
         | | | | | | | |
         +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
         | | | | | | | |
         +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
         | | | | |X|X|X|   baseline
         +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  Each player then opens one beer - and fills the three glasses on his
side of the board.  Each player rolls one die, high roller gets
control of the center glass - That player may choose to either give
the glass to his opponent (who must fill that glass) or fill it
himself.  Whomever fills the seventh glass gets the first roll of the
game (offset by the fact that he starts short one shot of beer).

  Before the first roll of the game, the "ranking female present"
(nearest Lady with the hightest title) is asked to roll the Queen's
Number. This is an An Tirian variant that began when one of our Queens
got into this game, and claimed a number for herself.. :-) I'll
explain the use of this later.

  The player starts by moving the center glass to his baseline, fills
it, and rolls the die and begins play - on each roll of the die, two
glasses are moved.  The glasses only move in one line (forward and
back). When the glasses are lined up - the roller can choose to either
keep rolling (to line up more glasses) or drink the glasses he has
lined up.  The line must be an unbroken line of glasses (ie. each one
next to the other), with a minimum of three glasses in a row.  While
the offical rules state no less than three - custom states that
drinking less than 5 is cowardly.  Most better players opt to try for
the full line of 7.  A horizontal lineup is permitted, but, you must
line up all 7 to drink.  Baselines (the two lines on either side of
the playing board) may not be built on (ie: no lineups of glasses...).

  When a player drinks, if the observers of the game congratulate or
praise the player, the player is obliged to share his drinks with the
observers (this usually leads to a lot of "buttering up" of the
players...:-) Since this could give a popular player an advantage (ie:
he's not getting as drunk as his opponent), the rules state that a
player must drink *at least half* of the glasses he has lined up.  The
opponent is usually given a glass, also... The empty glasses are then
placed on his opponent's baseline, and his opponent must fill the
glasses with his beer.  The play then passes to the other
player. Whomever cannot fill the glasses set before him, loses the
game.

   The dice are passed from one player to the other when a 7 or an 11
is rolled, or if any roll cannot be used. (ie: there are no glasses on
the baselines, and a 6 is rolled... the 6 cannot be moved...the turn
is surrendered).  This means you want to try to keep at least one
glass on either baseline at all times.  If, during the play of the
game, the Queen's Number is rolled, then the player rolling it chooses
one glass on the board, says a short toast to the Queen, and drinks
it.  The glass is placed on the opponent's baseline, the opponent
fills it, and play continues.  This rule can be fairly strategic.
Especially when the Queen's number is a 7 or 11 - normally, you choose
a glass to be placed on the other side of the board that would best
help you out - but when play continues on a 7 or 11, you pass the die!
So, you would pick the least favorable glass to toast with... Oh, and,
Queen's number's sometimes come up frequently.  When this happens, you
can drain your opponent quickly.  You cannot lose by being unable to
fill a "Queen's number" glass.  If you are out of beer, and need to
fill a Queens' number, your opponent will offer to fill it for you,
out of courtesy.

  Some quirks about the game: 

   The playing surface is not washed during play (and usually not
until the next day) Part of the game is learning how to use that
spilled beer on the surface to your advantage.

   For the "very noisy" section of the camp - when the Queen's number
is rolled, all those present acknowledge the toast by yelling "To the
Queen". Also, if all seven glasses are lined up - then cheer is then
"Set him up, and knock him down".  This can get very rowdy very
quickly, if you have several boards going at once.

   If you beat an opponent, and haven't yet opened your second beer,
it's a skunk, or double win.

   If you teach someone this game, it is custom for the student to
provide all four beer, two for himself and two for his teacher.

   When the game is over, the remaining beer on the board (and in the
opened beers) is then poured, and a final toast is often made - this
toast is sometimes lengthy, expounding on the virtues of King, Queen,
Kingdom, Barony, your opponent, the ladies present, etc. etc.

   Playing with wine is an acceptable substitute for beer, but tends
to make the board stickier.

   Boards are made from almost anything, I have a nice hardwood
plywood board with my griffin on it... but I've seen cloth boards,
leather, and tile.  Glasses don't tend to be too fancy, because they
can be broken fairly easily.  Most are standard shot glasses.

   The children in our encampment play this game, as well.  But they
use either pop, or M&M's to play with. (they have often observed games
late into the evening...)  Be forwarned, tho, parents, as children who
have played this game often end up with a sugar rush to end all.

   Some house rules state that if a Queen's number is "forgotten" or
missed (ie: the glasses are moved before the toast to the Queen), then
the opponent may call "mulligan" and choose to drink any glass, and
the player must fill it himself, and continue play.

From: amy_c at efn.org (Amy Carpenter)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Heraldic Positions (was: ykyitscaw...)
Date: 22 Jun 1995 00:43:06 -0700
Organization: Oregon Public Networking

Myfanwy sez: 
>	(Replying to the 'you should take a picture of Godzilla in
>all the heraldic positions' post---)
>	It occurs to you that Godzilla naiant, hauriant, and
>migrant are going to be a real challenge...

What's _really_ fun is playing "Herald Says..." As with the old 
"Simon Says" schoolyard game, all the players try to do what the
herald says... Our baroness, at this year's Sergeants' Tourney, 
used a game of "Herald Says" as the Heraldry test for Sergeant
candidates... Who says Heraldry is stuffy? :-)
--Alys/AmyCat

From: 00mjstum at bsuvc.bsu.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: A game for those into Dark Age reenactment...
Date: 15 Sep 1995 10:18:07 -0400
Organization: The Internet

Greetings!

For those into Dark Age reenactment, here's a simple game that was given to me
by an NFPS member that looks an awful lot like the forerunner of "ball tag":

            http://blah.bsuvc.bsu.edu/nfps_kingibats
I'm supposed to be getting some photos of the game in action.. stay tuned.

Or the ASCII version:

--------------------------- Cut Here ----------------------------------
Kingibats

Seen cited in a childrens book as an actual Dark Age game but not sure what the
evidence is. 

---

When making centre boss shields, keep the approx. 8-inch diameter circle of
wood which you cut out. Put a handle on the back that you can hold comfortably
and use the bat to parry with. Make a ball by wrapping a stone in many strips
of cloth or leather (a tennis ball works just as well and is safer if childen
are joining in or you are playing near parked cars). Each player holds a bat
apart from the one designated thrower. The thrower tries to get people out by 

 o Hitting any part of their body with the ball 
 o Catching the ball (before it bounces) when a player has hit it with a bat 

Players protect themselves by either dodging or parrying the ball with the bat.
The thrower cannot move when he/she has hold of the ball. When a player is out,
he/she drops their bat and joins the thrower in attacking the rest of the
players. Throwers can pass the ball between them. At the end of the game, the
winner (i.e. the last person left holding a bat) is rewarded by becoming the
thrower in the next game. 

If more people want to play than you have bats for, the excess just play by
dodging the ball and then pick up a bat when one is dropped by a person being
out. Bats can be painted in group shield colours to personalise them. 
--
NFPS Membership Officer: Sandra.Orchard at roche.com 

--
Matt Stum               Ball State University  Gwydion ap Myrddin Arglwydd
00mjstum at bsuvc.bsu.edu  Muncie, IN  USA        Shire of Afonlyn, MK
http://blah.bsuvc.bsu.edu/matt                 http://blah.bsuvc.bsu.edu/gwydion
                       http://blah.bsuvc.bsu.edu/nfps

From: fruitbat at canberra.DIALix.oz.au (Paul Sleigh)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: small group needs ideas
Date: 11 Nov 1995 01:55:56 +1100
Organization: DIALix Services, Canberra, Australia.

You want ideas for games for children?
Do you know the game called Tierce?  (rhymes with pierce)

Briefly:
Get everyone in a circle, in pairs,
such that one person of each couple stands behind the other.
Select a hunter and a hound (for want of better terms).
The hunter chases the hound.  If the hunter can tap the hound's shoulder,
the hunter becomes the hound and the hound becomes the hunter.
If the hound runs to stand in front of a couple in the circle,
the member of the couple on the outside becomes the hound.
The game continues until someone calls everyone in,
AND calls them again,
AND tempts them with delicious food,
AND sends several hefty stickjocks out to drag them all in personally.
It's a brilliant game.  We'll be doing it at my next feast,
so that the kids (and non-dancers) will have something to do
while the dancers are dancing before the first remove.

: Eric :
-- 
Razors pain you; rivers are damp;		       :      Paul Sleigh
Acids stain you; and drugs cause cramp.		       :  (Eric the Fruitbat)
Guns aren't lawful; nooses give;		       :   fruitbat at canberra
Gas smells awful; you might as well live.  - D Parker  :     .DIALix.oz.au

From:  Mother Mo Cridhe! <kate.mccridhe@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: SCA history from my perspective... Ameoba and my recollection of other games
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:11:11 -0000

On Aug 20, 11:04 pm, jk <kles...@suddenlink.net> wrote:
> What makes you think it was outlawed?
>
> Mother Mo Cridhe! <kate.mccri...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >Hee hee... I thought, why not?
> >I'm one of the central culprits for an old SCA game... the Ameoba.  (I
> >have no idea what so ever if this game is still played, but it is
> >silly.)
>
> >It was Arwyn & Chepe's wedding, Three Rivers on the campus of
> >Washington University.
> >It started out, I was standing arm in arm with Corwin and Cyfruis (...
> >uh... that don't look right, but...).  We were just standing around
> >that way and chattering.  Corwin's wife, Linnet came up and twined her
> >arm around him, and we kept chattering away.  Cyfruis' other girl
> >friend came along and twined her arm around him, and we kept chattering
> >away.  Karl von Kuhlmann came along (Cyfruis' other girlfriend's other
> >boyfriend...), and joined in... pretty soon, more folks were joining
> >in this arm in arm line-up, I think just because the proportions were
> >beginning to be silly enough to be fun looking.
> >Pretty soon, the two on opposite ends of the line-up decided that they
> >should close the ends and shuffled the line into a circle.
> >By this time we were all pretty silly, so we went along with it,
> >giggling and snorting all the way.
> >Well... all that giggling & snorting in this circle... more folks just
> >had to squeeze in... and there was more giggling... which attracted
> >more people...
> >Pretty soon a couple of folks suggested that this formation was
> >resembling an ameoba.
> >What do ameobas do?
> >They wander around and eat up other organisms...
> >So, giggling and snorting and someone started chanting "Ameoba-ameoba-
> >ameoba..." and we started capturing other people on the grounds and
> >squeezing them into the circle.
> >Pretty soon there were more people playing Ameoba than were loose on
> >the grounds...
> >And that's how Ameoba started.
>
> >Anybody remember Clench a Wench?
> >The one and only time I ever played it, the game had just recently
> >been outlawed in the SCA.  However, at a private revel... actually...
> >I believe it was just someone's birthday party of close friends, all
> >of whom happened to be in the SCA.
> >In this particular game, the guys were assigned letters and the gals
> >were assigned numbers.
> >Anyrate, things were progressing and a lot of us were wondering why
> >the game was outlawed, we were all having fun and things were
> >progressing as they should.
> >By the time it was my turn to sit in the middle and call out a letter
> >and a number, I really had honestly figured out who was assigned which
> >letter or number.  But... I was more suseptible to my hypoglycemia in
> >those days, having indulged in a hefty portion of cake and other
> >sweets, I was getting pretty hungry for protein... specifically...
> >steak... nice... tender... fire grilled... BOVINE BLOOD MEAT!!!
> >With out much thought I called out "A-1"
> >Then... I realised who I called out.
> >I heard the war cries from both sides of me.
> >I looked one way and saw Linnet in full charge.
> >I looked the other way and saw Corwin in full charge.
> >I squawked, covered my head with my arms and rolled up into an uber-
> >fetal position.
> >I had knees in my back, elbows cracking me in the skull, hands clawing
> >at my shoulders and arms, and TWO PEOPLE RIGHT ON TOP OF ME!!!
> >Luckily, I am a fair sized gal, even then, when I looked like a
> >skeleton, I weighed in at 140 pounds (I'm 6' tall), so I wasn't any
> >more injured than a small bruise to my ribs.  I was able to emerge
> >laughing at the good natured rough housing...
> >On the other hand, it was quickly decided that that was the very
> >reason Clench a Wench was outlawed, and the game was immediately
> >disbanded.
>
> jk- 

Clench a Wench was outlawed in the Middle Kingdom ... oh... it was
before Calontir was even a principality, I'm not even sure Calontir
was named at that time... uhm... it would have been XIV or there
abouts, I think.

<the end>

Edited by Mark S. Harris	games-SCA-msg	Page  of