Back in 2006, I wrote The Banner of Brendoken as a marching song for the Barony. Okay, that was fun. By 2008, I decided it was time for something a little less serious. The rapier fighters in Brendoken had by then attained quite a reputation for their skill. Since the whole Barony had a fight song, I decided the fencers needed...a drinking song!

Brendoken Rapier Corps (A Drinking Song)

Words by Justinos Tekton called Justin
Tune: "Irish Washer Woman" (Trad.)

Brendoken's peaceful and quiet and fair,
But if you fight Brendoken you'd better beware
Of the fencers whose prowess is fabled in lore:
They're the blades of the Brendoken Rapier Corps!

REFRAIN:

So raise up your glasses and ring out a cheer.
First we'll toast them with Scotch, then we'll toast them with beer!
If you think they're defeated they'll fight you once more!
Drink the health of the Brendoken Rapier Corps!

First they slash at your left, then they thrust at your right,
They'll attack you all day and then party all night!
And the last thing you'll know as your corpse hits the floor:
You're no match for the Brendoken Rapier Corps!

On the list field at Pennsic they challenged the East,
But the enemy fled as if they'd seen a beast!
All alone on the field, “one to nothing” the score,
No one dares face the Brendoken Rapier Corps!

At last, eight fell in battle and went straight to Heaven.
St. Peter said, “Sorry, we've space for just seven.
You must leave one behind, for we can't hold eight more.
My regrets to the Brendoken Rapier Corps!”

So they huddled a moment, then cackled with glee.
Bade their leave to St. Peter -- quite puzzled was he.
But their plan was one Peter could never ignore --
Sharp the wit of the Brendoken Rapier Corps!

They ran down the stairs to the infernal regions,
Cried challenge, then charged at the Devil's own legions!
A fortnight they battled, then seven days more --
Hell defeated by Brendoken's Rapier Corps!

Back to Peter they marched and cried, “Now you've got room,
For we've claimed it for you from the armies of doom!
We will not be divided! Now open the door!
All for one in the Brendoken Rapier Corps!”

St. Peter conceded, “You've done pretty well,
And I'd rather you fight for the Lord than for Hell,
We've got work for you here!” Then he flung wide the door.
Now his guards are the Brendoken Rapier Corps!

---

Author's Notes

Of course, this song was presented at Baronial Court at Pennsic 37, as a surprise to all except my own lady wife. Afterward, the rapier folk asked me if it was okay for them to sing the song at events and parties, to which my reply was this: "Hell, yes! I wrote it for you. Enjoy it! In fact, my fondest wish is to hear this song, at 3:00 a.m., in a drunken, slurred voice!"

That night, I was invited on a pub crawl with the Rapier Corps, and we ended up at a household camp featuring a bar shaped like a scale-model pirate ship, and big enough to have fore and aft decks you could actually climb. Given that setting, and a couple of slugs of rum....okay, several slugs of rum, in a delicious concoction known as a "Dirty Pirate"...the night ended somewhat differently than I had planned. You see, I got my wish, or close enough. But I hadn't expected that the drunken,slurred voice singing my song from the deck of a pirate ship would be....ahem...mine.

What a night! Thanks to the Brendoken Rapier Corps, who took me pub crawling, got me wildly biffledinked, and then escorted me back to my own camp to sleep it off.

---

Copyright © 2008 by Justinos Tekton (Scott Courtney). All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to the populace of the Barony of Brendoken to perform this song at SCA and private functions. Please ask permission before republishing the song, or if you wish to perform it in a commercial context.