nfinued from page one nounced ;o begin. a moved dessert, as was chosen this year. "Throughout the feast wine traditionally flowed freely," Dr. Jumpeter commented, "and so it did at ours except on student night." an ap- I song. he king ie affair hat was !coming tionally l a base . It was led the )owl. In the medieval period there were no forks. People had knives and spoons for what was necessary, but primarily they us ed their fingers. The first time the chorus performed the feast, the guests were given the option of using forks. At the second feast, on student night, a humorous plot prevented the guests from using forks. At a cer tain point in the ceremony the chorus members were supposed to pick up their forks and place them on the table before the king. On this night, without Dr. Jumpeter's knowledge, the chorus members gathered up all the guests' forks as well as their own, and placed them before the king. The guests some very reluctantly were forced to use their fingers. The feast included a hand washing ceremony. In medieval times large bowls of scented water were passed among the guests so that they could wash their hands at the end of the meal. The Highacres chorus pro- vided warm, scented towels for the guests to wipe their bands. During the entire meal there was constant entertainment, either singing or some other type. This year there was a magician at the feast, going from table to table performing magic tricks. There were also a jester and 11 troubadour at the feast. In medieval England a jester was usually employed by' a household until he became out of favor with that household. The troubadour was a wandering singer. He also acted as the area newspaper, in forming people of what had hap pened in neighboring towns that he had come from. As part of this year's entertainment there was - also a skit involving a tourna ment between the jester and the troubadour in which the two tried to subdue a dragon. The medieval-style costumes worn by the chorus members in the feast were made by Mrs. Eberts, a resident of the Hazleton area. 1 course isted of iedieval at the se, but dictates 1 at the al were 'opriate rse was re was ance in ial was •ay and ,sts and Id then 631, and his ap t to the eluded s head, ,at por- and a ted the course itch Dr. ular in re pud dumpl- meat. type of n those is very The hall was decorated ac cording to medieval tradition, with long tables, and banners which were made by the Hazleton vo-tech class. Photography b Sandra 'Humenick is shown serving to some of the guests the traditional toast. The warm drink, served in the "wassail bowl," was a mixture of apple juice and spices. . Large crowds of nearly 100 were in attendance both ,nights of this year's Medieval Feaste. Guests actively participated in the feaste by asking the King's permission to re fill their wine glasses. y Dominic DeCusatis The Highacres Collegian-7 During dinner, the court jester (Jon Weaver) and the troubadour (Finn Petersen) entertained the guests. The two competed in a jester's test to see which would be King of Jesters.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers