Cloven Fruit / Cloved Fruit

[Naito_Mitsukai]

Like most games, depending on where you travel you will find different pronunciations, different names, and different rules.

I was wondering - what are the 'rules' you play by where you live?

This mainly came up while talking to friends of mine in the SCA, and talking about Clinton.
I said I was going to bring cloven fruit, we started talking about it, and realized we'd each heard different rules and such.

Like - who gets to pull the clove out? Is it the reciever or ALWAYS the lady (if so, what do you do if there are two ladies? Or two lords?)

And there's even one set of rules I've heard, that changes it from a simple kissing game/meeting game ... to something more personal - boarderline vulgar. (I'd never play by those rules, and so as not to give a bad impression to any new members of the SCA, I'm refraining from posting those).

And there are other little things revolving around the tradition of the cloven fruit that seem to be different depending on where you are - or even what event you're at.

Here's how we played at an event I was at. (Mind you it was very very small, and just about everyone knew everyone, so that may be why rules were different?)

Reciever choses - unless the other feels uncomfortable with what the reciever has chosen.

Clove taken with hand = kiss on the hand
Clove taken with teeth = kiss on the lips
Clove taken out and dragged somewhere =
A) The giver follows the trail with their mouth
or
B) depending on the situation, it differed - such as, some people dragged it on their cheek, for a kiss on the cheek, other dragged it on their nose - and 'eskimo kissed'

But My friends and I have found different rules in different places

So how do YOU play?
(Also, if anyone's ever been to Clinton - and knows the general 'rules' - please post?)  

[Indigo Project]

I've never played, but I like your version better than the ones I've heard about. It can go from a simple kiss on the hand to "Your place or mine?"  

[Artimus_Twitch]

I usually avoid cloven fruit like the plague.
I am not a very 'friendly' person, I usually never even give hugs.
So I dont even really understand the rules.
I usually tell the person offering it to me they are more likely to get punched then kissed if they insist on giveing it to me.

But from what I understand its what ever to two are comfertable with. Whether that be a kiss on the hand or cheek, or something a bit more intimate.  

[LittleGreenGirl]

When I've played, it's been basically:

the receiver always takes the clove

- with the hand, kiss on the hand
- with the mouth, kiss on the mouth
- if the receiver takes the clove and keeps it in their mouth, the giver is supposed to fish it out
- if a bite is taken out of the fruit, it's "your place, or mine?"

the last two are always optional, though, depending on comfort levels. I've had to say no to a few bites of the fruit before. Silly boys.
 

[Naito_Mitsukai]

Okay - so here's how it was basically played at Clinton (mind you individuals had different rules they played by depending)

~ Ladies ALWAYS HAVE FIRST CHOICE - no matter if they're giver or reciever (so they present some body part to the Lord)
~ Lords ALWAYS have second choice - if the Lord feels uncomfortable with what the Lady has chosen, he may say 'My Lady - I appologise, but I can not do as you've asked, would you accept *insert offer* instead?' or some other wording of the same sentiment. (Mind you, I didn't have that happen at all)
~ It actually didn't matter what you took the clove out with, and it was always reciever who took the clove - although always Ladies first choice. It was what the Lady presented you with.

~ If there were two Lords or Ladies - it was reciever's first choice and giver's second choce.

~ last clove was an offer of bedwarming (but nothing beyond that unless it was stated or requested & accepted).

Again - changed from person to person, but those were the basic rules. And I was happy with that - it meant I wasn't expected to do more then I felt comfortable with. 3nodding  

[THE Great Mysterious inu]

I've never played, only because when I WENT to revels all the time, I was A) too young and B) In a corner somewhere sleeping.

BUT! Now I DO know how to play.. so if ever I go to another revel... *cough* or a SCA thing with cloven fruit, I'll know how to play. :3  

[Jette Vala]

The way I always understood it, at faires and the like, the lady always has the choice of anatomy to be kissed, and it's polite to accept the fruit no matter if you want to or not. Retrieve the clove with your fingers, it's a kiss on the hand, and with your teeth, then she has the option of presenting her cheek or her lips, or taking it a step further and using the clove as a tonsil hockey puck.  

[Sir_Catherine]

Pluck the clove with one's fingers, it's a kiss on the hand.
Pluck the clove with one's lips or teeth, it's a kiss on the mouth.
Keep the plucked clove in your mouth, it's a deep kiss.
Swallow the clove, or otherwise dispose of it, it's a sexual advance.

The person presented with the fruit has the choice of how to pluck. Both parties may say "No thank you" at any time.  

[kirby_8934]

Receiver choses - unless the other feels uncomfortable with what the receiver has chosen.

Clove taken with hand = kiss on the hand
Clove taken with teeth = kiss on the lips
Clove taken out and dragged somewhere =
A) The giver follows the trail with their mouth
or
B) depending on the situation, it differed - such as, some people dragged it on their cheek, for a kiss on the cheek, other dragged it on their nose - and 'eskimo kissed'
is how i've played it  

[Neko_Bast]

Looks like most people play the same. In my shire it is:
Take by hand = kiss on the hand
Take by mouth = kiss on the mouth (keep in mouth is a deep kiss)
If your offered the last clove its an invite to bed as a bedwarmer or somthing more depending on the person. I've had to turn down few of those. ^-^  

[Spasms]

You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that’s done’s Forgiven

Heh. I actually spent an hour or so talking with my sister about this, and these are the rules she told me from when she used to play.

Remove clove with fingers, palm down: Kiss on the hand
Remove clove with fingers, palm up: Kiss on the wrist, which implies intimacy
Remove clove with lips, and turn to the side: Kiss on the cheek
Remove clove with lips, tuck in cheek: Ehh... tonsil hockey

Some less conventional rules she told me about are...

If presented with the fruit with the last clove in it, it's an invitation for not so innocent bedwarming
If presented with the fruit, and the reciever takes it, bites it, see above
If presented with the fruit, and the reciever takes it, rolls it back to the gifter, and turns their back, it's kind of a "Drop Dead" answer.

Of course those are from when she played when she was a teenager, and she's now in her mid twenties, so the rules have probably changed.

You’ll always be mine
I know deep inside
All that’s done’s Forgiven

 

[Tchipakkan]

So glad to see the true story posted by Kittywitch.  

[Naito_Mitsukai]

Spasms

If presented with the fruit, and the reciever takes it, rolls it back to the gifter, and turns their back, it's kind of a "Drop Dead" answer.

Oooooh... I've only ever HEARD of that. That's considered BEYOND rude here. I mean, of course anyone can say 'no' or decline at any time, but to drop it on the ground, or roll it back to the person offering .... that's EXTREMELY disrespectful & just generally mean. confused 3nodding  

[Sir_Catherine]

I find myself sitting at bardic circle when the cloven fruit comes out elsewhere. *shrug* Different cups of tea I suppose.

As far as what Spasms wrote, I agree that that's too rude for use in the SCA. We're all supposed to be lords and ladies in word and action, not uncouth or insulting. A polite but firm "No thank you" dressed up in whatever SCAdian lingo one wishes to use is more than enough.

Granted, if the "lord" doesn't take the hint, then all bets are off.