Tales of Riccardo di Pisa
In reference to this image: [1]:
by Dunstana Talana the Violet
(Collected from the Northkeep email list, November 2009)
This photo is a mural of Ansteorran giants – Master Korwyn (Korwyn Marius Velis Ariannaid), King Simonn of Amber Isle and Queen Tessa of the Gardens, Sir Ricardo di Pisa (God rest his soul), and Sir Sir Lord Lord John John (God rest his soul). (I cannot make out the gentleman in the black hat and red robe behind Sir Ricardo.)
Sir Ricardo enjoyed playing persona, perhaps more than anyone I’ve ever met in the SCA. I mean, he REALLY loved being Ricardo. Ricardo was a crusader-era Italian knight. Ricardo was an Italian patrician who loved the good life. Ricardo was bigger than life. He fought hard, played hard, loved it when others had a good time, and spared no effort to make sure they did. He loved to be entertained by dancing girls. During my brief time fighting heavy weapons, he was my teacher and, let me tell you, he was a patient man.
I remember a Bjornsborg event many years ago with a fighting scenario of Chivalry-versus-the-known-world. All the white belts and baldrics lined up on the crest of a ten-foot slope and dared everyone else to come take them. Ricardo spied someone about to make it to the top, and moved to intercept. His foot caught, and down he tumbled. He took out five fighters before he reached the bottom. The accidental tactic worked so well that, when they set up for the next bout, he lay down and had two knights roll him down upon the enemy.
One of the all-time favorite events among my memories is a fall court event in Bryn Gwlad, for which his household cooked a feast that just beat the band. I can still taste the alfredo. I can also still see him walking up and down the aisles between the tables, making sure that no one shirked on stuffing themselves silly, patting folks on the shoulder and laughing and joking, all the while clenching a large wooden spoon in his fist as if it were a short sword.
Then, as if that weren’t enough work for one event, he co-starred in a Commedia del’arte play by Mot Cather (recently elevated to the Laurel) in which he played a lecherous, money-grubbing antagonist. We hurt ourselves laughing.
King Lloyd von Eaker and Queen Joselyn Allyne Reynard bestowed the Lion of Ansteorra on him in 1982, the year after I first met him. The rightness of their choice was clear to everyone who knew him. He loved life, people, parties, and a good fight - and being entertained by dancing girls.
