Here’s a bonus Charlemagne post in honor of Twelfth Night. FOR THE FIRST CHAPTER ON CHARLEMAGNE’S PALADINS CLICK HERE
REINOLD, MAUGRIS THE MAGICIAN AND THE ENCHANTED HORSE BAYARD – Reinold was another of Charlemagne’s nephews, like the Paladin Roland. Reinold, also called Rinaldo, was the son of the Emperor’s sister Aya and her husband, Duke Aymon of Ardennes. Reinold’s sister Bradamante, covered previously at Balladeer’s Blog, was the white-armored Paladin in Charlemagne’s court, making her literally a “white knight.”
Reinold, like his three older brothers and his sister distinguished himself in battle and was knighted by the Emperor. Reinold, already showing the maverick streak that he would become famous for, declined a sword at the knighting ceremony, vowing that as one of Charlemagne’s Paladins he would carry a sword taken from the next adversary he bested in combat.
Once, while riding outside Paris, Reinold was presented with a magnificent suit of armor by Maugris the magician, the younger, more active counterpart to Merlin from Arthurian lore. (In some versions Maugris – aka Malagigi – also gives Reinold a horse, but since this tale centers around Reinold’s taming of the mount Bayard I’m omitting that to keep the story stream-lined.)
Not long after, Maugris the enchanter again appeared before Reinold, this time in the forest of Arden. Maugris told the young Paladin that a mightier steed than the one he currently rode was on the loose in the forest, killing everyone who tried to tame him.
Maugris went on to explain to Reinold that the horse, named Bayard, once belonged to Amadis of Gaul. After Amadis’ death, Maugris had cast a spell on the horse that granted it supernatural powers, making it impossible for the beast to be subdued by anyone except another Paladin as brave and capable as Amadis himself.
All the other Paladins that Maugris had sent to try taming Bayard had been killed by the horse. Reinold was undeterred by that knowledge and rode off toward the cavern lair of Bayard. Continue reading
Honorary Democrat Qassem Soleimani was eulogized by America’s increasingly deranged Democrats over these past few days. WE NEED THIRD PARTIES. Join so many of us former members of that political party and #WALKAWAY from that fascist organization. 
Some of that animal’s atrocities which have endeared him to America’s Democrats: assassinations, bombings, targeting civilians and other war crimes like EFPs, plus crushing the student demonstrations in Iran. (America’s Democrats feel only students who agree with them have the right to hold demonstrations.) 
Hey, Democrats, any time you want to consider rejoining the human race and recovering your sanity, bear in mind that you do not have to canonize garbage like Soleimani purely out of spite. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER NINE – The 22nd ranked TEXAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY RAMS welcomed the number 9 team in the nation – the WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PIONEERS (Should be the Flying Ws). The key words were “Upset Massacre” as the Rams led the Pioneers 40-22 at Halftime, then obliterated them by a final tally of NINETY-SEVEN to FIFTY! Peyton Sallee led Texas Wesleyan with 26 points. 
OTHER UPSETS IN THE RANKINGS – The LYON COLLEGE SCOTS, often called the team of all Americans of Scottish descent, toppled the visiting 18th ranked CENTRAL BAPTIST COLLEGE MUSTANGS in a 65-61 Instant Classic ### And the LIFE UNIVERSITY (GA) RUNNING EAGLES notched a 72-57 Road Upset of the number 19 LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS. 
COMMUNITY NIGHT CHAOS – The SAINT LOUIS COLLEGE OF PHARMACY EUTECTICS took it on the road against the HANNIBAL-LAGRANGE UNIVERSITY TROJANS on their Community Night event. The Eutectics were chasing the Trojans 34-26 at the Half before outscoring their hosts 50-33 from there for a 76-67 triumph. Jordan Anderson led the victors with 19 points. 
AMAZING ADVENTURES Vol 2 #39 (November 1976) 
It is now January 2020, but we can just call it “44 years from now” as it would have been to 1976 readers. The setting is the Okefenokee Swamp, an unknown number of days after the previous issue’s New Year’s Eve celebration between Killraven and his Freemen and Brother Axe and his military-uniformed rebel colony. 
Balladeer’s Blog’s previous items on hilariously failed predictions by “psychics” were so popular here’s a fourth installment. 
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Division One – 1. MID-AMERICA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY EVANGELS ### 2. UNIVERSITY OF PIKEVILLE BEARS ### 3. GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS ### 4. THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS ### 5. WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN ### 
6. LSU-SHREVEPORT PILOTS (Riverboat Pilots) ### 7. UNIVERSITY OF PROVIDENCE (MT) ARGONAUTS ### 8. JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES (Should be the Abolitionists) ### 9. WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PIONEERS (Should be the Flying Ws) ### 10. LOYOLA (LA) UNIVERSITY WOLFPACK ### 
The year 2020 will be a year featuring plenty of Top Twenty lists here at Balladeer’s Blog. To start things rolling on this second day of the new year is this list of great items for the working class and the poor of all colors: 
Balladeer’s Bowl always pits the NAIA football champs against the NCAA D3 football champs. The results are in, and the NAIA champs got the victory. The MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS defeated the NORTH CENTRAL (IL) COLLEGE CARDINALS in Balladeer’s Bowl X. 
2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS (1982) – HAPPY NEW YEAR! Balladeer’s Blog’s Weirdness at the End of the World welcomes in the year 2020 with a look at what Texas will be like in a few months. There are changes coming your way, Texans! 
Their black wigs with built-in headbands are one thing, their less than authentic vests are another thing, their Tonto way of speaking still another, but the POST-APOCALYPSE TEEPEES they live in will bring a smile to the lips of any true fan of really bad exploitation movies. 
