Friday 9th and Saturday 10th December 2011 – Medieval Yuletide Revels at The Great Hall at Mains

This weekend has seen the culmination of eight months hard work for The Great Hall team, along with Twelve and AtmosFEAR, as we presented our first two ‘Medieval Yuletide Revel’ evenings.

Guests were greeted on the terrace by 'Mortissa' whilst the resident fire breather entertained. Many of the guests thought that this was their entertainment for the night – little did they know what we had in store for them…

It was great to see some of our guests getting into the medieval theme!

At eight o’clock sharp the court Fool called guests to their seats after outlining the King and Queen’s decrees. Each time a guest passed by the royal table they must bow or curtsey and there were to be no visits to the lavatory without seeking prior permission from the King and Queen … or else the stocks await!

The King and Queen were greeted accordingly by guests, before Twelve Event Management served a starter of Vegetable broth. The King and Queen then chose a Wassail King and Queen. The origins of ‘wassailing’ are unknown, but it is mentioned in texts dating as far back as the Fourteenth Century. In one such text, the leader of a group took a bowl of ale and, raising it to the crowd, shouted "Wassail!" an Old English term meaning "to your health."

The second vignette featured a blessing of the sacred hog and a battle of holly and oak celebration. All the guests were bowing and curtseying as required but the Fool was very skilled in catching those who tried to sneak past – even our TGH staff weren’t able to escape the stocks at times!



Our bar staff member Lee gets caught out in the stocks - He loved it really!

After a sumptuous hog roast feast had been served, the third vignette of the story of the Yule log was played out, with a dessert of traditional sherry trifle being served by Twelve.

 The origins of the Yule Log can be traced back to  Midwinter festivals in which our ancestors enjoyed feasting, drinking and watching the fire leap around the log, burning in the home hearth. The ceremonies and beliefs associated with the Yule Log's sacred origins are closely linked to representations of health, fruitfulness and productivity. In England, the Yule log was cut and dragged home by oxen or horses as the people walked alongside and sang merry songs. It was often decorated with evergreens and sometimes sprinkled with grain or cider before it was finally set alight.

When the fire of the Yule Log was finally quenched, a small fragment of the wood would be saved and used to light the next year's log. It was also believed that as long as the Yule Log burned, the house would be protected.

By this point in the evening, many of the guests had made the mistake of ignoring the King and Queen, with a few being caught out by their friends and made to go in the stocks!!

 The King and Queen retired to their bed chamber to allow the guests to dance the night away to the sounds of DJs provided by CamScott Leisure.

Another Medieval night is set to take place next Saturday at The Great Hall at Mains – we are already counting down – and also looking forward to 2012 where we have more themed dining events due to take place. Watch this space for more details!!