Northkeep Dionadair

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Official Dionadair History Page, Barony of Northkeep website

Creation:

The Dionadair Tournament was the creation of Angus MacNokard and Damon Hroarson in 1994. Their original concept was to create an event in which local fighters could get some experience fighting in tournament-style combat. Because they chose to hold it at the local Northkeep Fighter Practice, both those who were authorized AND those who were not, were able to participate.

Requirements For Entry:

  • The fighter must be un-belted.
  • The fighter must attend the Fighter Practice of the Barony of Northkeep and/or its Cantons.


History:

From an email to the Northkeep Baronial Email list, dated Thursday, January 27, 2011 by Damon Hroarson. (Posted with permission)

For a number of years there were a few tourneys in the north but not a great number. I'd been thinking about how to sponsor one but really didn't have anything specific in mind. Then, a bunch of us were sitting around fighters practice cooling down one day and some of the guys started griping that while Fighter Practice gave us practice fighting, it didn't give us practice for the tourney mind set. This was particularly true for new fighters who may never have fought in a tourney before. Then it hit me...a number of years previously, Alaric von Lieutpold had given me a couple of steel billets which I had thought might make neat spear points. Unfortunately, I really didn't have a way to change rectangular pieces of steel into pointy objects but a couple of others there did. So, once again, I set off to co-opt someone to help me make trouble. I started discussing things with Angus MacKnokard. Given my three steel blanks, could he make three different spear points? He could keep one. I'd keep the other. And the third would become the prize spear. If he'd make the points, I'd mount them and do the legwork putting the tourney together. We started discussing format and requirements. At that point in time, every tourney nearby was a Swiss five so we decided to do a double elim. just to give the players exposure to something different. We also agreed that too many of the tourneys around here were sword and board grudge matches. Both of us revel in multiple weapon styles so we wanted to see the participants display a working knowledge of several weapons. Also, since this was a practice tourney specifically arraigned to include new fighters, it had to be run as part of fighters practice so that fighters who had not authorized could participate.

Now for a name... There's too many "Defenders" and "Protectors", etc. already. We wanted something that sounded unusual even if it meant the same thing. I started going through xxxx to English dictionaries at the Library looking up "spear", "Sword", "guard(ian)", etc. Dairmaid proposed several in Gaelic including the one we decided upon...Dionadair (Pronounced "Jeenader"). (One of these days I'm going to find a way to use the old Calon warlord's title even though the College of Heralds has put it on the 'disapproved' list. The old Saxon word "Bretwalda" [Overlord] just sounds too cool.)

Dionadair came to be seen as our local war leader.

Traditions:

  • Traditionally, the tournaments begin around 10am and goes until around 4:00 pm. It is generally followed by a Revel.
  • Each year, the format is set by the prior year's winner - one year, the field was a 10x10 "tower top".. those who stepped out of the square field, 'fell' to their death.
  • The winner is presented with the spear, which bears leather tags, each naming one of the prior champions.


Chronology:

Number Year Dionadair Ensign Notes
1st 1994 Guest Grimsson
2nd 1995 Thorgrim Bjornson
3rd 1996 Colin ua Niall
4th 1997 Merrik Viltâr Hâr
5th 1998 Ulf Arnfinnsson
6th 1999 Wilhelm de Kaalavo Master Beorthlic hosted a fire circle in which all conversation was confined to period topics, in persona. Wilhelm de Kaalavo won as 6th, winning four of five rounds. Sir Balvin fought the bye rounds. Lady Rowan served as listmistress.
7th 2000 Karl Hungus Alexander Marchand
8th 2001 Angus MacNokard Angus MacNokard and his family host the after-event revel this year.
9th 2002 Evan der Fultime
10th 2003 Damon Hroarson Borrendohl
11th 2004 Angus Gunn The Dionadair tournament is featured in an advertisement in the Tulsa World newspaper, an announcement on Channel 6 morning news, and several community calendars, due to the efforts of the (then) Hospitaller, Ian Dun Gillan. Angus Gunn wins the Dionadair, Johan von Aug is Ensign. This year, the format is multiple melee scenarios instead of multiple weapon skills. "recruited former winners and non-NK fighters to show up and fill out the ranks of the "armies" with each person fighting for the title acting as team captain at least once each scenario. This also meant everyone got a lot of fighting in. We were not allowed to win the title, just to fight." - Damon Hroarson
12th 2005 Randell Lee Event held at the OSU Tulsa Campus. Lady Anawyn hosts the after-event revel.
13th 2006 Morgan Blackdragon
14th 2007 Held in Chemin Noir
15th 2008
16th 2009 Seamus Mc Gregor
17th 2010 Evangelos Thrakios Seamus Mc Gregor
18th 2011 Thorvald Eggilson Karl Thorgirson


Trivia:

  • The event is often misspelled as "Djionander" or other similar variants.