Yule Revel in Renaissance Germany

“Come, let us sing a joyful song, let instruments and lutes also resound. 
Sweetly make music, intended forever to be made,
the drum beats and sings, that all's heard,
help us decorate our feast.”

“Nun fanget an, ein guts Liedlein zu singen”, written by Hans Leo Hassler, in 1598.  Translated by Moisés A.  Bittner.


The Barony of Bhakail invites you to join us in chasing away winter’s gloom with feasting, dancing, music, singing, contests, gaming, and much socializing in a Renaissance German midwinter celebration.

During the day, there will be Renaissance dance instruction and Renaissance German music, gaming in the ratskeller, and Youth Activities. 

Additionally, the Baron and Baroness of Bhakail have called upon Their Baronial Arts & Sciences Champion and Their Baronial Brewing Champion to prepare competitions so that the next Champions may be chosen.


Baronial A&S Champion Competition:

All that glitters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told.
Tell of work in much detail.
Projects welcome that have failed.
You must show in word and deed;
Rocks that may, or not impede.
Prove if you've been wise and bold;
Show the work to be extolled.

In every path of learning we come to a point where we fail to continue without trial and error, or the assistance of an outside source.  The challenge for the A&S Championship at Yule this year is to explain what hurdles were jumped to move forward in a specific project or area of study.  Display a final piece where you have conquered a difficult technique, or a project in progress that is moving over the hurdle to the other side of completion.  Research papers are very welcome, and should be submitted by Sunday, December 3rd, to the outgoing Baronial A&S Champion, Lady Shoshana Gryffyth at Ellenshoshana@gmail.com.

Entries will be judged on a 1-5 scale in 6 categories:
Documentation
Complexity
Creativity
Authenticity
Aesthetic qualities
Workmanship

Please send any questions or requests for assistance with documentation to Shoshana Gryffyth at Ellenshoshana@gmail.com.


Baronial Brewing Champion Competition:

Greetings unto the people of the great Barony of Bhakail and all beyond its borders,

I am honored and blessed as last year’s Bhakail Baronial Champion, to present the theme for this year’s Yule Brewing Competition to be held at this year’s Bhakail Yule Revel on December 9, 2017.

Every year as Yule time approaches one of my favorite parts of the season is all the smells associated with it.  Smells of peppermint, pine, cider, cinnamon sticks, figs, apples, and spices.  And that will be this year theme:  The Scents of Yule.

The competition is a 7-point system with a possibility of bonus points.  All Brewers of any experience level are encouraged to participate.  Contestants are expected to be over 21 if entering an alcoholic category.  All ingredients MUST be listed so as to prevent allergic reactions among the judges.  The potable must be created legally, IE:  no distilling, unless you have license to do so.  The potable entered must be made by the person entering; proxy entries will be allowed at the discretion of their Excellencies of Bhakail.  Please try to document your entries.

Point Break down:
Yule-time scent ingredient:  1 point
Taste:  2 points
Documentation:  2 points
Period tools and methods used:  2 points

Bonus points available:
Baron/Baroness allowed to grant 1 point each
Snazzy Label:  1 point
Period bottle:  1 point

In Service Always,
Lady Cassandra Arques
Bhakail Brewing Champion


The SCA does not serve alcohol, however, the site allows BYOB:  attendees are permitted to responsibly share the fruits of their study of brewing with others.


Dayboard Menu:  Inspired primarily by paintings of nearby Flemish market scenes, we are bringing you foods that were traded to Germany in the early 1580s.

We are hoping to offer a variety of cheeses. 

There will be 2 fine salads from Rumpolt - one of field greens & pomegranates (served disassembled to accommodate allergies) and one of lemons.

We'll have vegetables (both pickled and fresh), fruits (fresh, dried, and preserved), and nuts.

For hearty travelers, there will be a hard sausage and mustard.  We hope you enjoy our warm bread and cold butter.  There will be reliable hard boiled eggs (served with parsley and vinegar) and slightly more daring pickled herring. 

We hope to provide sufficient tempting nibbles to sustain you through the many reunions of old friends and the meetings of new ones.



Master Alesone Gray of Cranlegh is preparing a sumptuous feast of the following dishes, all from "Ein New Kochbuch" (1581):

Suppen 46 (New Cheese Soup)
Weck (Weck bread w/butter)
Hennen (Roast hen w/cherry)
Gestürtzte Eyer (Eggs w/herbs)
Zugemüß 123 (Roasted cheese w/fig)

Ochsen 64 (Meatballs w/almond)
Indianischen Henn (Turkey)
Zugemüß 172 (Fried rice)
Zugemüß 183 (Carrots)

Turten 19 (Cheese tart)
Schweinen 6 (Pork with onion sauce)
Zugemüß 5 (Peas w/bacon)
Erdtepffel (Earth Apples-Potato)

Gebackens 63 (Waffles with peaches)
Confect 12 (Sugared strawberries)
Confect 4 (Pears)
Marzipan

Feast seating is limited, so please preregister early.

It is always a joy to see revelers adorn the feast tables with rich wares.  The Baron and Baroness of Bhakail challenge every local group, household, or collection of friends to decorate their table at Yule.  Entries will be judged on period-appropriateness, festive appearance, and display of the group's heraldry where applicable.  Their Excellencies will chose the most impressive feast setting from among those sitting table at feast and will present them with a gift. 

Candles are permitted during feast as long as they are in votives which are taller than the flames.


The site has an elevator to the Ratskeller, Main Hall, Balcony, Library, and restrooms, but three small rooms can be reached only via stairs.  The main entrance to the building is up a short set of stairs.  The building can also be entered from the street directly via the elevator (bypassing the stairs), but the elevator entrance is unlocked only as needed and there might be a short delay to get access to it when you arrive.  Please contact the co-event steward at 215-387-5825 when you arrive if you need to have the elevator opened from the street.

Site Opens: 9:30 a.m.
Site Closes: 10 p.m.