At each war the Northern Alliance warriors will sit at a formal toasting followed by a bardic on the night following the biggest day of battle. For most wars that will mean Saturday night.
The form this will follow is the Germanic sumbel (Old Norse Sumbl, Old English Symbel). I am going to give some background on sumbels first. If you want to skip to the part where I explain what we are going to be doing, skip right over the "Background" section.
--Sir Conrad Breakring
The Northern Alliance sumbel is open to all who wish to attend. However, the only people to speak during the toasting are those who fought with the Northern Alliance that day.
Each person will sit where they choose about the campfire. As only those who fought will speak during this initial stage, it is wisest that the closest seats to the fire are given to those who fought. All who have sat will give room for the Ealu Bora and the other noble ladies aiding her to move about the fire as their spirit moves them. Those people who are sick with a contagious ailment or who otherwise do not wish to drink from the large horn may bring their own empty mugs, horns or cups. One may also, if they choose, approach the Ealu Bora ahead of time and ask her to have available a second container of a non-alcoholic drink that they may drink.
The Symbelgifa, the person who is starting out the sumbel, will say a few short words of explanation and then start the sumbel off with a toast to friends not present. (Historically this was referred to as the "Myne" toast.) Following this, each participant in turn will be approached by the Ealu Bora, the horn bearer. When approached they can either take the horn as offered or extend out their empty mug and have it filled. Once they are holding a full container of liquid, whether their own or the large horn, they will speak a toast. During this toast they are called upon to bear witness to an act of bravery, inspiration, skill or comedy that they saw another member of the Northern Alliance perform upon the field that day, which can include the actions of support people such as waterbearers.
The speaker may not speak of their own deeds. Word fame is important to warriors and it is our duty to honor our friends and allies by bearing witness to their deeds upon the field. As the speaker's allies and friends are depending upon him or her to honor them, so the speaker must depend upon other, later, speakers to bring up the speaker's deeds. The speaker holds the floor, and the only person who may speak is the one holding the horn, though at the end of their toast a short cry of approval is OK.
Once the speaker's toast is finished, they may drink, touch the edge of the horn to their lips, or pour out a small amount upon the ground. Then the horn is returned to the horn bearer.
The horn bearer will, as necessary, refill the horn with drink carried by one of the noble ladies helping her, and proceed to the next speaker, who she will choose as her heart moves her.
After all fighters have spoken the horn is returned to the Symbelgifa, the person who led off the sumbel. That person will then make a few short explanatory statements and, if the spirit so moves them, make a bragafull, a boast or vow about what the group will do in the future. If any others feel so moved to make their own boast or vow they shall wait their turn and then quietly motion to the horn bearer and make their statements once the horn passes to them. Like the first toasts, these are sealed with a drink, touching of the horn to the lips or a small libation. The old Germans often used the horn during sumbel like a ring or sword, as something which binding oaths could be sworn upon.
Once the last person who wishes to has spoken in this round, the Ealu Bora may speak a few words if her heart so moves her. (She may also give any of the ladies with her a chance to speak if she so chooses).
The Ealu Bora will then end the toasting portion of the sumbel by asking that a group song be sung (the Minstral Boy). While this is going on, one of her ladies will obtain and light a lantern and a bottle of alcohol which will be on hand for the Symbelgifa. Once the song is complete the Symbelgifa will start the bardic (and start the alcohol around the fire).
In the old sumbels, once the toasting was finished, it was the job of scops, skalds, gleemen, and bards to sing of anything that so moved them.
In the Northern Alliance sumbel anyone and everyone is welcome to share their gifts and joy with the group. The lantern will come to all, fighter and non-fighter alike, member of the northern baronies or southerner alike.
As the lantern reaches any person, they may pass or perform. This performance can be anything at all. It can be a poem, a sung song, an instrumental, a story, a comment (like "gee today was fun") or anything.
They can ask others to perform with them or go it alone. All will be welcome and all contributions will be appreciated.
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