Factum Enimvero
(As a Matter of Fact)
Lord Cecil, reportedly the smartest man in the SCA, is a shadowy figure who seldom makes public appearances at events; however, he is a valuable resource to those interested in getting "The Straight Dope" about Medieval and Renaissance life. He can be reached through his confidante, Lady Katherine d'Inkepenne.
Dear Lord Cecil,
I'm a member of a local brewing guild, and we want to recreate what beer must have REALLY tasted like in Medieval London. To that end, we've begun a fund raiser so that we may send a member over to England to collect water from the Thames. We'll use the water collected to brew beer. Would you care to make a contribution to the cause? We'll mention you in our Art-Sci documentation.
Your Fan,
Lord John SmalBerrieys
Dear Lord John,
Lord Cecil wants no part in this debacle. Even if you do raise the money and send a guild member to London, and if you manage to get enough water back to brew, there would be two major problems with the resulting concoction. One, the stuff would taste pretty vile, and would probably poison the judges. Two, the beermakers of Medieval London didn't even use Thames River water to brew their beers. The brewers, bakers, fishmongers, and housekeepers of old London got their water from the Great Conduit of Chepe, located in the Chepe food market. The Conduit system was complex. It had fountains, pipes, and subsidiary branches within other market places. Kinda like our modern system, only no fluoride for strong teeth, and not so clean.
Dear Lord Cecil,
Is it true that actor Val Kilmer is a Duke in the West Kingdom?
Lord Alfred Prufrock
Dear Lord Alfred,
I think whoever started that rumor watched the movie "Willow" one too many times. All my sources indicate that this is not true. However, a few authors from the fantasy fiction world, such as Marion Zimmer Bradley, were involved in the early years.