The purpose of the challenges is to encourage participants' creativity and artistic growth. They are not meant to be competitions - everyone who takes part can consider themselves a winner.

It is our wish to create a "bardic safe zone" - a friendly place to feel free to experiment, stretch yourself, and try new things if you are a new to bardic and performing arts, recently returning, or an experienced performer with new material.

You'll be hard pressed to find a friendlier and more supportive audience. (See below for general rules!)

Each challenge is sponsored by a Patron. As a Patron, you sit at the front of the performance area during your challenge, introduce each participant, and usually present each person with a small token. (This can be a pretty period-appropriate bead, a cookie, something related to the challenge, whatever small token of appreciation you would like ot offer.) This is meant to give a designated appreciator and a face to each challenge and is a neat way for less-performance-inclined bardic supporters to participate.

Children are invited to participate with adults. Some of the challenges will be particularly fun for children.

Fyt the First (9:30 AM - 11 AM)

A Far-Traveled Fable

This is Dahrien's favorite challenge and he traditionally sponsors it, but as he will not be able to join us this year, I asked him what kind of animal he would be in a fable.

“Dahrien is a mischevious monkey, but he's always wished he could fly like a bird.”

So the tale begins. It is continued by participants under the conductorship of the challenge’s patron.

Patron: THL Freydís in tryggva Sigurðardóttir and THL Ronin

Rhyme Time

Tell us a fable (new or old) in rhyme. Any form, or none.

Patron: Lady Ysabella Cardi

Aesop-Shmaesop!

Bring us a fable written during the middle ages or Renaissance.

Patron: ban Ollamh Orlaith Ballach Inghean Fhlain

Fyt the Second (1:30 PM - 3 PM)

In The Beginning

Is this your first event? First time performing? First Bardic Madness? Or are you younger than age 12? Please introduce yourself to us any way you like – poem, song, want ad, commercial, tournament boast….  (Don’t forget to tell us your name.)

Patron: Dame Bridget ni Cathasaigh

All About Cryptids

Sing us a cryptid song, new or old. Extra points for sing-along.

Patron: Liz of Jararvellir

Aesop Without Morals

Tell a fable in its "original" form, and ask the audience to provide a moral to the story.

Patron: THL Cobflaith ingen Sitriucca meic Imair

Fyt the Third (4 PM - 5:30 PM)

Anywhere But Europe

Share a story from a non-European culture.

Patron: THL Ronin

En-Troupe-y

Gather a troupe of performers to act out a fable (new or classic). Props and sound effects are welcome. Extra points if it's a Broadway musical!

Patron: Elteber Yehudah ben Yitzhak

Do the Aes-hop

From a list of words, come up with a fable. (Moral optional). Use no fewer than five, no more than 12 of the listed words.

Patron: Mistress Eliane Halevy

The Moral is Oral!

Celebrate the ancient story, told by firelight as the stars come out. Extra points for bringing it straight from your memory - no book (of any sort).

Patron: Eyja íþróttakona Bassadóttir

Fyt the Fourth and Feast (6:30 PM)

An Instrumental Challenge

Bring us a break from words, words, words, and let an instrumental piece carry us into fabulousness.

Patron: Lady Dalla Grimmsdottir

Short and Sweet

Turn a fable into a limerick or haiku. (No moral necessary.)

Patron: THL Ronin

Proverbs

Give an old saw a new life by writing a fable to illustrate it.

Patron: Mistress Mysie

Extra challenges: (When time allows.)

Bedtime Story

Tell us a bedtime story that may (or may not) have been written by Aesop or his many followers.

The Trickster

Without naming names, or being too explicit about the identity of a wrongdoer, bring us a story in which a person or group behaves badly, and receives just punishment (or not).

General Rules

Challenges are not contests. You win by entering and striving to do the best you can.

Challenges are designed to encourage you to try your hand at something new, to stretch yourself, to enjoy, and celebrate the creative spirit.

Read the guidelines for the challenges carefully, like most exercises, they are designed to help you develop in specific areas. Try to follow them as closely as you can, but stretching them in unexpected directions is good too.

Individuals are welcome and encouraged to give recognition to those performers whom they especially enjoy.

In order to allow the largest number of people to participate, challenge entries shall be limited to 3-5 minutes or less for Poems and Songs, 5-7 minutes or less for stories - including any introduction.

Each person may enter a maximum of one piece in each challenge and a maximum of three challenges.

Aesop's story of the fox and the crocodile