gurdymonkey | Go me! I've created an anachronism!

It's official. For those who missed the comments posted by

helblonde to my journal over the weekend, the House of Cheerful Monkeys was inducted into the Order of the Period Encampment at the last court of Leohtulf and Gillian during their reign as Prince and Princess of the Mists. Yesterday,

layla_lilah delivered the pennon I am entitled to fly for the next six months.

Click on this hyperlink , as it explains just how much of an anachronism the HOCM actually is. The photos at the web page were taken at my first outing with this set-up. The one above is from my first Great Western War in 2007. Since then, ~~my tarted-up wedge tent~~, the ambiance has been augmented by the addition of some more plausibly period lanterns, a Japanese game table that doubles as storage and a nice little "bar" for serving tea and sake from, and most importantly, appreciative guests to entertain there.

(Sadly, the brocade futon cover hanging over the blinds, the original lanterns and the first version of the game table were among items stolen from my truck in January.)

When, reeling from

helblonde 's message and thinking, "What were they thinking?" I consulted the West Kingdom website for a description of exaclty what it was I'd just been honored with, I discovered the following description:
"The Order of the Period Encampment
Awarded at the end of the current reign to an individual or household who has made a great effort to present an encampment with a medieval atmosphere. The token of the order is a pennon in the Principality colors of argent with azure engrailing, with a medieval pavilion in the center. The recipient will display this pennon during the following reign."
(That one right there, that's folded neatly and sitting on the stairs waiting to be transferred into a camp box the next time I go down to my truck. Holy freaking mother of wow.)

OK, fair enough. The HOCM isn't particularly authentic, but I've got the atmosphere thing down. Bucket loads of atmosphere. Here There Be Japaneseness Of A Pre-modern Flavor and monkeys and would you like sake or tea? I've got your atmosphere right here, tomodachi.

Irony of ironies, the award was created in the reign of a certain person with whom I had a difference of opinion upon the very existence of non-Western personae in this, Our Society some years later. Irony of ironies, the HOCM made its first public appearance at this same person's Coronet during a later reign with a different Princess. While I can't be 100% certain as I looked over the roll of previous recipients, I think it's quite possible that the HOCM is the first non-European one.

Three years of showing up and being Japanese and not doing it on the outer fringes has made a difference. People look for the House of Cheerful Monkeys now. They stop and sit in the shade and visit, perhaps they share a cup of sake.

As I look towards the A&S Tourney next month, I wonder how many people will take the "First Contact" class and learn about interaction between Japan and the West in period and I contemplate what to serve at the lunch hour picnic, which will be a Kingdom Tradition once it happens for the third time.

You bet I'll be flying that banner too.