For most of my life, I had little interest in the subject of history. All throughout high school, it was one of my least favorite classes. I just didn't care.
It wasn't until I was in college that I started taking an interest in one period of history, that being the millennium referred to as the medieval period. Perhaps it had something to do with my Celtic surname, I don't know. At any rate, I was no longer opposed to studying about the past.
At the beginning of my last year of college (year six, to be precise), I decided to get involved in an extracurricular activity, just to add something new to my life and perhaps meet some unattached young female.
At Penn State, there was a publication put out called the Free University. It was a listing of all sorts of classes and organizations likely to be of interest to college kids. These weren't classes for credit, mind you. Contrary to common thought, Basketweaving 101 was more likely to be found in the Free U, rather than the school's actual curriculum.
One particular item stood out from the rest for me. It was an organization called the SCA - The Society for Creative Anachronism.
What the heck is that? Well, let me quote from the preface to the SCA Organizational Handbook:
The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. is a non-profit educational organization devoted to study of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Most of its activities take place in the context of a social structure adapted from the forms of the European Middle Ages, which allows participants to take a first-hand look at various aspects of the life, culture and technology of the times under study.
This sounded pretty nifty to me. Of course, the write-up in the Free U didn't phrase it exactly that way. It talked about some of the activities, notably the combat activities. Yeah, these folks actually don armor and beat on each other with imitation, but intimidating, weapons.
I thought this was about the coolest thing since the invention of Yoo Hoo, so I immediately decided to check it out. But first, I needed some clothes.
Naturally, part of the hands-on study of medieval culture would involve dressing like them. As it happens, I had a roommate at the time who worked at a fabric store. She got me great deals on fabric for an outfit, and helped me make it. Of course, I didn't have a clue what I was doing.
The fabric I chose for the shirt was this gross, green, shiny, synthetic crap. Not at all medieval-looking. The pants were not much of an improvement, but at least they didn't shine. The cloak was made of some soft, flannel-like substance. I decided to make it reversible: brown on one side, gray on the other. I already had some tan cowboy boots (which would do well enough, I assumed), and I made a belt out of some natural colored material. I figured I was all set.
So that Wednesday evening, I headed for the meeting, which was held on campus. On my way to the building, I encountered my first fellow Scadian (as they call themselves). I immediately felt like a moron. This guy was dressed far better than I was. If you've seen Back to the Future III, and recall how Marty McFly was dressed initially when he went back to the Old West, you know how I felt about my outfit.
At any rate, this fellow walked over and greeted me. But I wasn't expecting the greeting he gave. "Your pardon, good gentle," he said, "but are you a knight?"
Not knowing how to reply to that, or perhaps thinking he was being funny, I decided to be a smart ass. "Yes, it is night," I said. "And a very nice one."
Disregarding my lame attempt at humor, he repeated his question, and I saw that he was serious. "No, I am not," I finally said. "Why do you ask?"
It was then that I received my first lesson in proper attire. My belt was, as I said, of a natural hued fabric. Pretty close to white, you see. And white belts are only permitted to be worn by knights.
Like I could have known that...
On to the meeting. It turns out that it was what was known as the monthly "business meeting." It wasn't exactly fun. It was about boring stuff like finances, newsletter publications, etc. But I learned a few things. We were in the East Kingdom, and I was now a member of the Shire of Nithgaard. I also learned that the combat wasn't just done by anyone, but only by those who had been training to do it for quite some time. It wasn't a situation of, "Here, put this on and go hit him!" I was actually relieved by this, rather than disappointed. The group was obviously not just some bunch of weirdos who didn't know what they were doing.
I also met a few people. Among them were Andreas and Catlin, whom I'd spoken to in the hall before the meeting began. (Everyone in the SCA adopts a "persona," including a "period" name and background, which can be as sketchy or detailed as one wishes.) After the meeting, this pair pushed the tables and chairs back against the walls, set up a boom box, and several people started folk dancing in the room, while others talked.
One of those I spoke to was the lady Elinor. She and her husband, Baron Dur of Hidden Mountain, held workshops at their home every weekend. I promised to attend.
I couldn't wait for that Saturday to arrive. I had no idea what to expect from this "workshop" thing. What I found was like nothing I expected. That first workshop remains, to this day, my single happiest recollection of the SCA.
Dur and Elinor lived out in a wooded area outside of town. Their house was at the end of a dirt road, surrounded by nature at its Pennsylvania best. It was a sizable house. Dur had a forge set up in his garage, where the fighters worked on their armor. Trees outside had punching bags hanging from limbs, perfect for taking hits from a rattan sword.
Inside, members of the shire worked on their garb, sewing tunics, dresses, cloaks and such. Some did research on their chosen time period. Others just sat around and talked about whatever they felt like. There was music. I was exposed to Mannheim Steamroller for the first time, and love them still. And food... Elinor turned her kitchen over to anyone who felt like using it.
What did I do? Well, mostly I just watched. I talked with a few people, listened a lot, and even spent some time alone. Their backyard was secluded, with plenty of trees to roam in. It was fall, my favorite season. I believe it was September. The night was cool and crisp, with the moon and stars shining brightly in the sky. I stood out there, wrapped in my tacky but warm cloak, and my mind felt peace for the first time in ages.
My everyday life was as frazzled as any college senior's. I was tired of the hectic student life (and mine was less hectic than that of most students), tired of feeling like I didn't belong anywhere… But here, surrounded by these people, listening to wonderful music, smelling the crisp air and baking bread… It was as close to perfection as I expected it to find. These people were for the most part very warm and accepting. They were truly enjoying this bit of history that they were living. And you know what? Medieval garb can be way comfortable!
By the end of the evening, I knew this was something I really wanted to be involved with.
Of course, fate has a way of tripping me up. This time it would take the form of a girl going by the Scadian name of Siona.
I first saw her at one of the weekend workshops. I didn't really speak more than a few words to her. But when the next month's business meeting rolled around, we were both there. And I guess I flirted with her. She claims I did, though I really didn't think I knew how to flirt. I'd never had a girlfriend at that point, and was very inexperienced in the whole dating thing, too.
As it happens, before too long, we were an item. Eventually, she moved in with me. We lived together for three years. They would prove to be three absolutely horrid years, a relationship that never should have been, but this isn't about that.
Siona was a hardcore Scadian. She was involved with everything. It was, no kidding, her life. She wasn't a student, but was there at Penn State intending to become one. (She never did.) She had no job, but lived off of Daddy's money. And she went to every event she could.
Events are common in the SCA. They can be small events lasting an afternoon, or last entire weekends or more. Most events have activities displaying arts and sciences, fighting competitions, and feasts. They're really a lot of fun. And as I said, Siona went to as many as she could, which at that time was probably one every other week.
It was the one thing I always felt would come between us. Her involvement in the SCA was far deeper than I ever anticipated mine becoming. Siona didn't really seem to have a life outside of the group. As I found out, she didn't even seem to have much of a personality outside of it, either.
Be that as it may, my time with the SCA was, with the exception of the first month or so, always with her. And this included the SCA event: The Pennsic War.
The Pennsic War is an event held in August of every year at a campground near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It's huge. People come from all over the place for this. Technically, the event lasts only one weekend. That's the war proper. But many will show up a week beforehand and stay for a week afterward.
In the summer of 1987, Siona and I went to Pennsic XVI.
To be honest, I didn't really want to go. I don't really recall why right now. I was getting to the point where I felt that our local group was just a little too politically oriented, with in-fighting and so on. And I was, as I said, concerned about her deep involvement with the group and didn't really want to encourage that.
But I consented to go, thinking it would be a vacation kind of thing. Silly me.
Having no car, we hitched a ride with some acquaintances of Siona's from Wilkes-Barre who passed through State College on their way. Now, I'm not generally comfortable with people I've never met before, so this wasn't exactly my idea of a good time. But I tolerated it.
The War itself… Well, since I wasn't a fighter, I didn't engage in any of the battles, of course. Nor did I watch any. Being August in Pennsylvania, it was nasty hot and humid. I hated it. And I'm sorry to say, I didn't really have a good time there.
I remember the merchants, though. Lots of them, selling all kinds of things from artwork, jewelry, gems, armor, you name it. Since I love to shop, this was my favorite part.
Oh, and I've already told you about another young lady who accompanied us to the War.
Less than a year later, I bowed out of the SCA. We eventually moved down to the Philadelphia area, and never got involved with a group there. We contented ourselves with going to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, of which I've written in at least one other place, and is a great amount of fun, though in more of an observational way. That's the big difference between Ren Faires and the SCA: personal involvement.
In the summer of '99, my partner and I drove the five hours from Ogden, Utah to Boise, Idaho, where I'd learned a Renaissance Faire was taking place. The one in Pennsylvania was fantastic. It lasts a couple months. In Utah, there isn't much similar, save possibly the Faire that runs briefly during the Shakespeare Festival. But I never attended that, so I can't say. I learned about the one in Boise by surfing the web. It was lasting one weekend, and it was coming up. Good timing!
Of course, being much smaller and much younger, the faire was pretty lame. However, a local SCA group was there doing a demo on fighting. And the memories just came rushing back. Good ones, this time. The bad memories I had of the SCA were primarily due to a bad relationship with a girl I met in the group. But I've had a long time to get over that. More than a decade has passed and I've started to think that I might wish to be involved in the group again.
The web has come in handy for some other things, too. I've learned that the East Kingdom has undergone a subdivision of sorts. And my old shire is now the Free Republic of Nithgaard, in the Kingdom of Æthelmearc. My old friend Baron Dur now goes by the name of Durr al-Jabal, and he has his own website.
In that part of Utah, I was in the Kingdom of Artemesia and the local group was the Shire of Gryphon's Lair. Sadly, we only attended one meeting, but it proved to be quite productive for me. I ended up being the listing realtor for the home of two members who later relocated. I may not have done anything with the group, but I made a decent sum of money from my one meeting. (Who says networking is silly?)
We got excited, though, after that first meeting... going to fabric stores, finding patterns, locating cool stuff at flea markets and such. (Siona absconded with all my SCA gear when we broke up, the wench.) My partner worked on a Scottish persona, while I pursued Welsh history, planning on personae in the on late 13th century, so we could both hate Edward I equally.
But as I said, we never got involved. We did, however, have a medieval wedding the following year.
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Now we live in California, in the Kingdom of the West and the local group is the Province of Golden Rivers. |  |
We're planning on actually becoming involved, this time. But in truth, we have much less free time here than we did in Utah, so who knows what will happen?
But if any of the above sounds like it might be something up your alley, I urge you to find a group in your area. The SCA is international, so don't be put off if you don't live in the U.S.
The SCA is a wonderful way to learn about times long past, perhaps about your own ancestry. It is a true learning experience, a social experience, and most importantly, a fun experience.
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