What’s in a name?..."Charon"? Where did that come from? Here’s the story, but in a shorter form than it might be.
Many years ago there was an SCA group on the shores of Lake Havasu in the Kingdom of Atenveldt. As the years passed, good gentles came and went until only Master Tinamou the Untamed his Lady Wife, Catherina of Dandroy, and their small sons held the lands that were then known as Londinium ab Ruber Flumen. The shire was essentially "dead".
Time passed and other gentles arrived on our fair shores. A charming Scotsman named Duncan MacLean, a bold Viking known as Wulf Ivarsen, seeking safe harbor between raids along the coast of France, and a Welsh archer named Edward of Westmark with his Pictish wife, Rhiannon de Bruigh and their tribe of half-grown children joined the ranks of defenders on the banks of the River.
The shire drew a shuddering breath and lived again! We changed its name to Londinium ad Rubris Flumen and hoped that it would prosper. For half a decade things continued essentially unchanged. Though there were memorable events and kudos from the Crown and many of us began to bear titles of one sort or another, the tides of mundane life began to sweep our members away. As our numbers dwindled, we struggled to keep our spirits up and our wits and weapons sharp as the round of wars, feasts, and demos took on a timeless monotony. We heard the death knell tolling…
Then, much to our joy, in A.S. XXXI our ranks doubled and then tripled. First came Wyndylyn Seaborne, husband Brian and their children, followed by Estria Kyrie with her parents James the Just and Erin Amazonia "the Tall". Soon we were joined by Regan Weissdrachen, who fit so well we tend to forget she hasn’t always been with us, and of course, Kilmur Dumas Staun. Wulf sailed back into port and Anne and Matthew returned from their exile in the Outlands, swelling our numbers as they bring friends and new family members into our circle.
Then we were joined by Ryan and Desire, Arnac and Phoebe and their son. The Shire has once again risen from the dead!
We find our interests expanding as the rapier community grows. We now have a fine group of rapier fighters. Our artists and artisans are without equal in the Kingdom. Those who defended the borders of Atenveldt for so long find that they can relax and enjoy watching as others learn new skills and grow in courtesy and valor.
And what of the name? We found sponsorship with the Barony of Ered Sul and our community college and decided that we should pay homage to our frequent passages into Oblivion by re-naming our home after the mythic boatman who ferried souls across the River Styx, the only known soul who has made that journey more often than we have. Thus the name:Incipient College of Charon at Londinium. No doubt the College of Heralds will have a word to say about that, but that is story for another day...
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Adapted from the History of the Incipient College of Charon at Londinium as recorded by His Lairdship Duncan MacLean and remembered by Lady Rhiannon de Bruigh A.S.XXXIII, being 1998 C.E.--