A Brief Historical Overview
by Friar Thomas Bacon (David Moreno)
In the days when rocks were soft and Charles Steward o’Conner only had an AOA, out of the Land of the Sun, there came a man to the southern plains, to a region newly known as Calontir. His teachers predicted great things for him, and at the junction of two rivers he planted his standard, gained his fame, and met his destiny. His name was Humpk D'Bohun from Bohemia.
Thus starts the history of Vatavia. The actual founding date is a bit ambiguous, but was eventually set as May 1, 1978, which roughly when the paperwork was sent off. The shire consisted of five people, a number that did not change much for two years. This did not stop the group from hosting Calon Tourney III (the winner of which was the Warlord of the region of Calontir) on Labor Day the following year.
The year 1980 saw a number of milestones. It marked the first time Vatavia was involved with the Kansas Newman Renaissance Faire. That summer was the first of the Free University classes which resulted in a population explosion. This would enable Vatavia to put in for baronial status. That Labor Day saw the first of the Valor Tourneys, Calontir’s longest running event. Less then a month later, Humpk won Calon Tourney. He would be the last of the Warlords.
Nineteen Eighty-One would not be less momentous. In March, the BOD formally approved baronial status on Vatavia, and the first baronial court was held on April 5. Humpk and Mammara Leona were not formally invested as Baron and Baroness till June 13 at the Second Middle Kingdom-Ansteorra War, better known as the chigger war. Thirteen Vatavians also received their AOA at that court. Vatavia also tried a radical new idea at this war: the wall shield. Which held up despite the efforts of the "flying pink elephants".
Vatavia was not yet done with war as a dispute arose with the Barony of Forgotten Sea over the "thieves and brigands" waylaying travelers between the two baronies operating out of the then Canton of Elenithal (now the Shire of Crescent Moon). This simmered over the winter, producing a continual stream of letters. The issue was settled in June with a decisive victory by Vatavia. The complication with the Forgotten Sea War was that Humpk that previous winter had won Coronet Tourney, and so was Prince during the war. Rather then appearing to war against one of his own baronies, he appointed Edward Cire Greymoor as Vicar.
Humpk would also be prince the following summer, to be followed by Edward Cire as the last prince of Calontir. Humpk would also become the third King of Calontir, as well as its first Duke. Edward Cire will also rule once as king. The only other Vatavian to rule was Gabriel ap Morgan, who did it twice. In all, of the first seven kings of Calontir, four were Vatavian.
Valor VIII in 1987 was bittersweet for long time Vatavians as Humpk and Mammara stepped down as Baron and Baroness. The new baronage was Tedrick von Wolfshcatten and Aideen the Audious. In an ironic twist of fate, Tedrick’s first major event was fighting for Ansteorra in the chigger war. Tedrick took a more light-hearted approach to ruling, which was good thing given he was chief victim of Plotters Anonymous. Archery became a major source of glory during his rule. Unfortunately, personal problems cut short his reign.
At Valor XI Gawyane ap Tristam and Briallen ferch Vikingr stepped up to the thrones of Vatavia. It was a difficult time as they struggled to rouse Vatavia from the funk it had fallen into. The First Vatavian Corps of Engineers-Mechanized made its first appearance in an effort to render an empty pasture into a passable site for Harvest Faire. Elements would later be seen working at Taillefer Farm for similar reasons. They also presided over what remains the wildest Valor: Valor XIII. The group Claddagh Ring literary sung up a storm that spawned tornadoes, flooded the site leading to an evacuation.
At Winter Crown of 1994 Gabriel ap Morgan and Rhianwen Ferch Bran ap Gruffydd took the reigns as Gawyane was killed in Crusade and heartbroken Briallen was lead away to a nunnery. One of the notable activities that occurred during this time was the Perfectly Period Parties, small feast to be done completely in persona. The spring of 96 saw the first appearance of the Mongols. Little did we know then how long they would stay. As Rhianwen’s studies lead her elsewhere, their reign came to a close.
Valor XIX saw the Mongol takeover of Vatavia as Khulan and Kerare took power as Cherbi and Cherbin. Two things characterize this reign. First popularizing the phrase “the lands that burn” as a description of the Vatavian area. The resumption of the links to the groups to the south in Ansteorra.
At the Birthday Bash of 2001 Alcyoneus du Battenhelm and Maeve Kelly d’Navarre became the latest to sit upon the thrones of Vatavia. And a new chapter starts in the history of Vatavia.
Copyright © 1997 - present His Lordship Friar Thomas Bacon (David Moreno). All rights reserved.