It was a dark and stormy night, as my 10-year-old son and I arrived at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine for the Knightwatch Medieval Children’s Slumber Party — and the weather couldn’t have been better. Somehow the centuries-old Cathedral seems even grander under cloudy skies.
Stumbling up the stone steps, our sleeping bags in tow, my boy and I were of very different mindsets. Sean fantasized about knights, roundtables, and swords. I fretted about falling asleep in a public space, surrounded by strangers.
Once inside the cavernous Cathedral, our excitement was in sync. Candlelight threw tall shadows in every direction as two friendly damsels greeted us and checked us in. The children (all between the ages of six and twelve) were divided into four kingdoms; Sean was assigned to the kingdom of Falconsworth. He was invited to sit at a crafts table to make his Falconsworth crest and quickly grabbed my smart phone, googled a griffin, and drew it proudly on his crest.
Soon the fun began. The parents and kids of our kingdom were led downstairs to brush up on some medieval basics. Sean and I learned how to properly bow to royalty. Then we learned how to dance in court. Not easy. Although the steps started off simply enough, they soon became more challenging. (Sean proved himself more adaptable than his mom).
It was about this time in the evening that I felt truly charmed. I wasn’t sure if my growing boy would fall into the fantasy of knights, and dancers, and woodwind instrumentalists, but he did. He was completely captivated by the players of the evening and the things he was learning about life in a long-ago time.
Once our dancing lessons were complete, we were offered a tasty snack and then off we went for more activities. Next stop? Art room, where Sean would become a medieval “apprentice” and try his hand at brass rubbing, stone carving, and gargoyle making.
Before long, we were headed back upstairs to the center hall of the Cathedral. The Queen of Strathclyde had an announcement to those of us in her neighboring three kingdoms (Cragsmore, Gunnymede and Falconsworth). She would be departing on a diplomatic mission, but her husband, King Brandwen, would be along soon…and he may be needing our help.
Sure enough, King Brandwen arrived with his daughter, Princess Persephone, and her betrothed, the valiant Knight Gallante. The princess had been placed under a spell by an evil wizard and could not speak. In less than 24 hours, she was supposed to marry Gallante, but unless she could say her marriage vows aloud, the wedding could not take place. The royals needed to find an antidote — and they needed the help of all the children in attendance. And so began Sean’s favorite part of Knightwatch, the royal scavenger hunt!
The loyal and lovable jester, Felix, led each “house” through the cathedral, searching for clues that would lead them to three keys. Together these keys would unlock a box containing the antidote for Princess Persephone’s speech loss. Were we successful? I won’t spoil any secrets or surprises…
Once the scavenger hunt came to an end, we were invited to arrange our cots for sleeping. Sean and I chose a corner near softly glowing prayer candles. After our sleeping bags were unfolded, and our teeth were brushed, there was one final treat to the evening: storytime at the steps of the choir. Soon we retreated to our cots, and the lights of the Cathedral were turned off. Sean nodded off before most of the other children, and I drifted off soon after.
It was a wonderfully fortunate feeling to sleep and wake under the towering ceiling of St. John the Divine. And as we rose from our cots the next morning and had our breakfast, I knew Sean and I had shared something really special. This was a night of knights, and a delightfully lasting memory. Future knights and princesses take note: the next Knightwatch Medieval takes place in September!
Mary DiPalermo, mom to an elementary-, a middle-, and a high-schooler, writes and shares her special parenting perspective on New York Family’s blog “Parenting In Progress.” She lives on the Upper West Side.
