KINGDOM OF UBERHEIM - Interview with King Siegfried - Music - http://maxpages.com/aeazine/KINGDOM_OF

What is the moniker your role-playing club goes by and how long has it been in existence? What initially inspired you to get things going? What was the inspiration for the name? Who started the club with you and where are you based originally?
Well, we are not a role-playing group in the classic sense, we are definitely not a LARP group. We are more or less a Medieval / Mythological themed subculture society. The inspiration began with the "Siegfried" film project of 1995 which was slated to be a Wagnerian rock-opera based upon the "Ring of the Nibelungs" & "The Nbelungenlied" of Nordic/Germanic Medieval lore. The film was never completed due to lack of equipment & personnel for the up scaled battle scenes. However the people I brought together for the project became a group of friends whom liked the concept, and we discussed meeting on weekends and creating some sort of group themed along the script of the original film project. The name "Uberheim" is German for the "Overhome" which in our definition equates to the home of sturdy souls or those of a higher concept of fellowship. The name was devised by (Pat) Hagen whom is one of the founding fathers. I (Tom) founded the film project, (Jim) Thor founded the concept of helping the handful of "lurkers" we had into a Medieval society. (Adam) Dankwert was also a major player due to his enthusiasm & acting experience.

What is the complete principal concept and storyline you invented for the Kingdom of Uberheim? From what sources did you draw influence to contribute to this storyline; as in authors, fantasy novels, films, etc.?
The principal concept as I said is based upon the Wagnerian 'Ring of the Nibelungs" Opera which actually is the base which JRR Tolkien shamelessly plagiarized into his "Ring Trilogy". We also understand that Wagner did not "write" the Germanic mythos per se. His portrayal however is something we strive for on an aesthetic level in Uberheim: Thunderous Processions, Bold aesthetics, Elaborate garb, Theatrics and Mythical beings. Wagner was a genius in his mixology of Drama, Myth, Legend, & Power. Myself being a Wagner fanatic; can attest that intrigue of the "Ring Cycle" is a Mythology all its own. My character I derive from the Germanic uber-hero "Siegfried" (not from the Volsung Saga "Sigurd").

Which members of the Kingdom of Uberheim have been the most active lately and what sort of ideas do they contribute?
Gee that’s a tough question, there are so many members whom contribute so much. It goes beyond just gathering for events as it was in the recent past. Everyone in the group are pretty much friends mundanely so there is an invested "love" for the group, which inspires all within to do their part to make it all work. The members we have now contribute through their presence at events & always striving for the groups' betterment while enjoying themselves in the process. The Noblilty basically is most active in organizing events and making them successful.

How large has the Kingdom of Uberheim grown since first starting out? How many applicants have become members altogether?
We started with the original handful of Lurkers from the film project in 1995 numbering 8 at best, the "group became a Kingdom in 1996 with about 12 members. Currently 2001 we have a membership of over 70 members and growing. All "applicants" can become members we don’t discriminate by age, race, sex, color, disability, deeds, or creed; Uberheim is a very mixed bag of mundane attributes. All we ask of members is respect & participation.

How much effort do members put into costuming, performances, and the like? Is it extremely hard work putting everything together?
All whom lurk at these events give validity to their persona by the way they act & the garb they wear. You basically "Are what you portray", obviously if you have two personas of similar nature and one spends some money on good garb and the other one comes in Levis, the better dressed "lurker" will have more persona validity. The hardest part of the events is trying to keep everything on schedule, organizing courts, and setup & breakdown. As the Kingdom ranks expand so does the inherent logistics required to facilitate such numbers. Other than that each whom attend do their own little part for themselves.

How many websites do you have advertising the Kingdom of Uberheim, its members, activities and the storyline surrounding it? Which of these do you believe offers the most information about the Kingdom?
Well we have our primary website which is Cybergaard this is our Official website. We have several other supporting unofficial websites which some members including myself have taken the liberty to construct.

Does the Kingdom publish newsletters or fanzines to promote the club? If so, please describe it to us. How wide is the distribution?
Well, like I said earlier we are a very "Cyber" oriented group. Our newsletter is currently our message board, its free & easy to maintain. It is moderated and offers a great opportunity for members whom are at home online at the spur of the moment to pontificate.

To what extent does Norse lore and mythology play in the development of your ideas? How does this eventually reflect in the Kingdom of Uberheim's overall concept? How versed are you personally in Norse lore?
We are really creating our own mythology from the point after Siegfried gains the "Ring". We are in fact a living mythology with no end. Some people frown at the fact that we "represent" the Gods, by having "Asgard" and members whom call themselves Gods, it confuses many people. However the concept of Uberheim is quite clear to those whom understand it. The entire Kingdom is based upon the Legend of the Rhinegold, which is an actual Germanic tale of the omnipotent metal gifted by the father of the universe "Ymir" to his wife "Nerthus" or mother Earth, they were also the creators of the Gods. The gold itself is fabled to be in the depths of the river near Castle Worms on the Rhein river. This was the actual Kingdom of Burgundy that the "Nibelungenlied" epic was derived from and written by Upper Germanic Medieval scholars. It was that tale that Richard Wagner based the "Ring of the Nibelungs" opera cycle. The "Ring cycle" has four parts, The Rheingold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, & The Twilight of the Gods. As the great struggle ensued upon Earth (Midgaard) to possess this Rhinegold it was won and lost by many. He whom bears a ring forged from this gold can force both Valhalla & Niebelheim to bow before him (as well as all the other Realms). The ring itself was forged by a Dwarf named Alberich, whom stumbled across the gold whilst chasing the daughters of Nerthus, The Rhine maidens in a pursuit first fueled by lust. The ring changed hands many time through treachery, deceit, & plotting from Alberich, to Odin, to Fasolt, to Fafnir & eventually to Siegfried after a battle with Fafnir the mighty Wyrm whom used the Rings influence to become a terrifying monster to enviously guard the Rheingold and the ring. When Siegfried gained the Ring he essentially conquered all, this is where the mythology of Uberheim begins. Instead of allowing the "Twilight of the Gods" to come to be, he averts the fate of the world & rewrites the Runes. The Kingdom of King Gunther of Burgundy becomes the Kingdom of Uberheim as he is crowned by Gunther after quelling a vile invasion by the Saxons & the Danes. The lands are now at peace and all now basks in the glory of the gods. The Kingdom becomes an arena and a haven for beasts, heroes, jotens, dwarves & other lurkers to call home. The gods are thoroughly impressed by these wonders and descend their heights in human physical form to enjoy these games. The Gods being forever envious of their creations, now have the opportunity to experience this marvel first hand. The ring was used to unite all the races as one, under one banner, for one purpose; entertainment & enjoyment for all. Therefore, Gods may be found taking the field against the Giants in a benevolent "contests of arms" rather than treachery or murder. It is Gladiatorial combat at its finest, with the influence of the Rhinegold, the powers of the beings in Uberheim are leveled so they may all meet on the field in equal terms. This explains how personas of Humans & Gods can come together in Arena and be able to interact. After-hours of an event during the "afterlurk" the members shed their personas and we hold actual period Norse invocations to the actual Gods in a more serious mundane manner. In Norse mythology the greatest honor that a human can grace to the Gods is through Battle, Victory, & Ale!. People whom know Norse mythology know that this is exactly what "Valhalla" was, it was a hall of heroes that fight & dies, are resurrected, feast heartily & revel, then do it all over again for the entertainment of the Gods. This is what makes Uberheim different from any other group in existence. We base the Kingdom of the actual origins of the Germanic myths and on the Theatrical Wagnerian influences thereof.

How long have you personally been studying Norse mythology?
I myself am actually moderately versed in the mythos, there are members whom know much more than I about the actual mythology itself. My inspiration was the operas of Richard Wagner, which inspired me to get to the roots of the Germanic eddas.

What are your other personal interests in addition to the Kingdom?
My interests include Singing & writing lyrics for my band "Zarathustra", Reading Philosophy lots of Nietzsche such as "Thus spake Zarathustra", "Twilight of the idols", "The Will to power", and others; Nietzsche & Wagner were actually very good friends. Among my other favorite authors are: Blake, Artaud, Clausewitz, Frasier, & Machiavelli. As well I like reading & writing poetry, Metal Detecting, Computer Strategy gaming, Camping, Fishing, Boating, Meteorology, Subculturism.

Do you watch a great deal of horror / science fiction? If so, which movies / television shows do you most prefer and why?
As far as television, I mostly watch the History Channel, The Weather Channel, The Discovery Channel or the Crocodile Hunter! Other than that I have piles of DVD's. I do not like science fiction at all really. As far as Horror movies, Jaws was the last horror movie that scared me and that was when I was 4 years old. I have not watched prime-time TV since the days of the A-team & The Greatest American Hero (blast from the past anyone?) Personally I like Medieval movies, Excalibur, Braveheart, First Knight etc. Other than that war movies, documentaries, action movies etc. I have the entire "Ring" opera on tape I ordered from the net, that is the pride of my collection. Someday I will find a way to get in to see the "Ring" when it comes to NY again.

How often does the Kingdom appear at conventions? What other events do you hold and describe everything that happens there?
To tell you the truth ICON 2001 was the first public convention we have ever attempted and ended up being a stunning success.We are definitely planning ICON 2002 and hopefully other conventions from there. As far as what goes on at our events, well basically all that I mentioned above and much more. The events themselves are never the same; each one has a different theme to them. There are various prize tourneys, title tourneys, field battles, woods battles, bridge battles, Norse wrestling, runic classes, choir classes, Sewing classes, Leatherworking classes, Offbeat tourneys, Mass campouts, Tavern events, Roman Gladiator events, Knighting ceremonies, Asgardian ascension ceremonies, Asatru symbols, Bonfires, Arcane confirmations, Royal court, Processions & marches, feasts & revels, medieval games, and much much more. The Kingdom is a true monarchial structure, the King meets with his advisors once per week to discuss activities, events & how to better the group as well as other notable topics.

How has the Kingdom's official website been received since posting it on the internet? Has it contributed to the club's popularity? What is of particular interest there, in relation to the Kingdom's concept?
Actually we are extremely active online, our website(s) is/are our "rallying point" after an event ends, there are pictures to see, message boards to interact, online contact lists & newsletters, etc. Members absolutely love the website and it is a great reference for new people to visit and learn more about us. http://Uberheim.tripod.com

How popular would you like to see the Kingdom become in the future?
Right now I can say without reservation, we are the finest and most organized Medieval fighting group in Suffolk county & eventually all of Long Island. We are a subculture that surpasses all else I have seen, in our structure, spirit, dedication, aesthetics, eclecticness, & quality of members. I see no end to the Kingdom, the mythology is alive and well and will endure. I would be satisfied with a goal of 200 sturdy members and that is not all that unrealistic at all. We are growing very steadily with new members arriving at each event. When everyone is together there is a very tangible energy that can be felt by all. This is what we refer to as the "Spirit of Uberheim", it cannot be explained but it is real. My goal is to see this Kingdom grow indefinitely and for the events to become more & more grandiose. I think the Kingdom is basically creating itself, the moral is high & strong and people really love what we do.

Anything you wish to finish with?
I sum, the Kingdom of Uberheim draws its greatest strength from its diversity & the "family" feeling which the members have forged. The members take the group very seriously and there is a collective love for what we do and a will to see it grow. We encompass so much and have so much going on even weekly!, that one can never be bored or disheartened. We do not concentrate on one central theme but rather we are a kaleidoscope of interests. The friendships which bind this fellowship are real & mundane, the atmosphere we create for new members is that of warmth & camaraderie.

Uberheim@webtv.net

http://uberheim.tripod.com

Official Online Kingdom of Uberheim Guidebook
(All you need to know about everything in Uberheim)
http://community-2.webtv.net/Uberheim2/UBERHEIMONLINE/

Kingdom of Uberheim Website:
(Website maintained by Goddess Saga))
http://members.tripod.com/~LadySaga/home.html

Official Uberheim Message board:
(Very active Online discussion board)
http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/103556

Kingdom of Uberheim Cyberheim website:
(The Kingdoms' prime site-many pix & info)
http://www.tripod.uberheim.com

King Siegfried's "Philosophizing with a Hammer" personal Homepage:
(Various organizational projects, The "Siegfried" project)
http://community-2.webtv.net/SpearofDestiny/Philosophizingwitha/

King Siegfried's Band page "Zarathustra"
(Including much more information & poetry)
http://www.angelfire.com/wy/zarathustra/page008.html

Tyr's Tribute to Uberheim Website
(Tyr's auxiliary cyber-presence in support of the Realm)
http://www.geocities.com/uber_edda/uber.htm

Spring & Summer 2001 there will be Camping nearly every Saturday night!. If you are interested in joining the Kingdom in such outings and want to take part e-mail our Camp coordinator: lady_modgud@webtv.net

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Page Updated Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:40pm EDT