Gideon ap Stephen
| Photo | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lord Gideon ap Stephen | ||||||
| Information | ||||||
| ||||||
| Heraldry | ||||||
 Per bend sinister argent and sable, a musimon rampant counterchanged. |
Introduction
Master Gideon ap Stephen is an 11th Century Welsh bard currently living in the Barony of Hawkwood in the fair Kingdom of Atlantia. He was the apprentice to Mistress Rosalind Jehanne and Master Dunstan le Heryngmongere. Gideon is the producer, host and curator of The Knowne World Bardcast, a podcast featuring bards and their performances from around The Knowne World. Gideon uses He/Him pronouns.
The Father
Stephen ap Gwynedd was good at few things beyond singing, drinking and following. His songs and stories carried him around his homeland of Wales and got him kicked out of more taverns than he'd ever admit. He was a frequenter of brothels, a friend to those who sold their sweetest wares in the dark of night and was regarded as a man of fairly ill-repute by the pious members of his small hometown. A hot-headed and passionate if mostly worthless bard, Stephen ultimately found himself in the retinue of a self styled knight. A knight who, in later days, would be called a Crusader. For months Stephen travelled with this merry band until he reached the land where the Son of the Almighty had tread, where glory and honor might be won and where the blood of good men was being spilled. This lowly bard found himself recording the songs and deeds of great knights and commoners alike who fought and died for their faith. His heart was moved and his songs rolled rich and full of fire to inspire those around him. While in the Holy Land and quite by accident, Stephen ap Gwynedd found himself improved in body, spirit and mind from the influence of better men. Through prayer and the singing of psalms he found himself free of the demon of drink and the lust of a lesser man. Stephen realized that his true calling was to return to Wales and live a humble, godly life. Upon returning home Stephen found his wife quite pregnant with a son that he hoped he had fathered before departing, unknowingly, on Crusade. Regardless of his child’s actual parentage, Stephen ap Gwynedd loved and cared for his son, and named him after one of the mightiest of God's warriors: Gideon.
The Son
Gideon ap Stephen turned out to be an enormous pouf who would never pick up a sword, much less be considered a warrior for any God, Christian or otherwise. While a roaring disappointment to his Da in a martial respect, Gideon turned out to be a passable singer, an excellent storyteller and pretty decent lore-keeper. His silver tongue and rapier wit kept him in and out of trouble as he journeyed as far and wide as his feet and ships could take him. Gideon declared it his life’s mission to learn and preserve the songs, stories and poems of the Knowne World as well as contributing his own. After many miles and many tales, Gideon found a home in The Fair Kingdom of Atlantia where he has been adopted by two of the most respected Bards in the Kingdom and The Knowne World, much to the puzzlement and chagrin of many of those around him. He has dedicated his voice to his Kingdom writing songs to move the populace and to inspire, as well as caution, The Crown. The former of these two practices landed Gideon at the foot of the Azure Thrones as one of two Royal Bards (along with Master Ruaidhri An Cu). To this day you can find him haunting the mead halls and taverns of Atlantia, as well as the salons and gatherings of L'abbaye des abeilles: The Atlantian Courtesan Guild. Gideon exercises more restraint than his father did at his age, but he still spins his words with the same burning passion that took his father abroad and ultimately brought him back home. You may learn more about Master Gideon and sample his works here.
The Holy Podcast
Gideon's greatest accomplishment is the production of The Knowne World Bardcast. The Knowne World Bardcast is a podcast for the populace of the Knowne World of the Society for Creative Anachronism. The show's purpose is to unite bards, minstrels, musicians, storytellers and all other performing artists in the SCA and to provide a digital archive of the songs and stories of Scadian life as well as introducing bards of previous and current generations to the Knowne World at Large. The KWB is not directly affiliated with or endorsed by the Society for Creative Anachronism and is a an independent production of DeepNerd Media. Visit us online at http://www.knowneworldbardcast.com You can also find us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever fine podcasts are found.
Awards and Achievements
Award of Arms (Atlantia) AS 50
Companion of the Coral Branch (Atlantia) AS 53
Companion of the Pearl (Atlantia) AS 53
Award of the Fountain (Atlantia) AS 54
Award of the Silver Nautilus (Atlantia) AS 54
Master of the Laurel (Atlantia) AS 54
Classes Taught at Runestone Collegium, Atlantian University & Northshield Bardic Madness AS 50-53
- How to Command a Room Without Being a Jerk About it: Stage Presence
- Carve Your Tongue Song on the Truth Keeper: Norse Kennings
- How to Win Friends and Make Enemies at the Fire (Five Songs You Should Know and why.)
- By Hoof and Horn: An Examination of the Scapegoats and Wronged Throughout Mythology.
- My Sonnet’s Words Are Nothing Like a Pun: Writing Sonnets w/Uncle Gideon.
- Writing Villanelles Like A Villain (There Are No Exemplars In English)
Offices & Positions
- Premier Baronial Bard of Hawkwood, Barony of Hawkwood, AS 40-41
- Deputy Webminister, Barony of Hawkwood, AS 41
- Royal Bard of Atlantia (Bard of the South), AS 50-51
- Royal Bard of Atlantia (Queen's Bard), AS 54-55