 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Members of the SCA study and take part in a variety of activities,
including combat, archery, equestrian activities, costuming, cooking,
metalwork, woodworking, music, dance, calligraphy, fiber arts, and
much more. If it was done in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, odds are
you'll find someone in the SCA interested in recreating it.
What makes the SCA different from a Humanities 101 class is the active
participation in the learning process. To learn about the clothing of the
period, you research it, then sew and wear it yourself. To learn about
combat, you put on armor (which you may have built yourself) and learn
how to defeat your opponent. To learn brewing, you make (and sample!)
your own wines, meads and beers.
You will frequently hear SCA participants describe the SCA as recreating
the Middle Ages "as they ought to have been." In some ways this is true
– we choose to use indoor plumbing, heated halls, and sewing
machines. In the dead of winter we have more to eat than King's
venison, salt pork and dried tubers. However, a better description is that
we selectively recreate the culture, choosing elements of the culture that
interest and attract us.
How did the SCA begin?
The SCA started in 1966, when a few friends who were history buffs and
science fiction/fantasy fans hosted a big outdoor party in Berkeley,
California. The invitation stated that a Tournament would be held on the
first of May, summoning "all knights to defend in single combat the title
of 'fairest' for their ladies."
Everyone enjoyed the first tournament so much that they agreed a
second should be run, but in a larger setting. In order to reserve one of
the public parks for the gathering, the organizers needed to list a name
for their group on the application. Since recreating the Middle Ages in
20th-century Berkeley was an anachronism (something "out of time"),
and because the goal was creativity, they came up with "The Society for
Creative Anachronism". It was a spur-of-the-moment invention; they had
no idea that the name would stay with their group into the future.
Word of the SCA spread via friends and science-fiction fandom. There
were 6 events held in the first year, and 9 in the second. In the third year,
a chapter was founded on the East Coast (the East Kingdom –
distinguishing it from the West Kingdom); the Californians incorporated
the SCA as a non-profit educational society, and away they went. Since
1966, the Society has grown to nineteen kingdoms, which cover the U.S.,
Canada, Europe, Asia, South Africa, and Australia. There are over 30,000
paid members of the corporation, and the total number of participants is
around 60,000 people.
How is the SCA organized?
The SCA "Knowne World" is divided into Kingdoms, each ruled by a
King and Queen who gain the throne by winning a Crown Tournament,
held semi-annually. There are also a Prince and Princess (the heirs to the
throne), and a council of Great Officers who handle the day-to-day
business of running the kingdom.
Within a kingdom (which may cover many states and thousands of
square miles) there are subdivisions called Principalities, and local
chapters called Baronies, Shires, and Cantons. Each group has its own
slate of officers to run it. It is the members of the local chapters who
actually plan and run the events, practices, and other activities for SCA
participants.
Households and Guilds exist as unofficial groups within the SCA, and
determine their own internal structure. Some households have a feudal
basis, consisting of a Knight and his lady, and their squires and men-at-
arms. Other households are founded by participants who are all
interested in focusing their recreation on the same era in history. And
some households are simply groups of friends who like to socialize and
travel to events together. Guilds are founded by groups of artisans who
come together to share their knowledge. They can set their own rules
about how guild members demonstrate skill to gain rank within the guild.
Fighting in the SCA, or Why are those people hitting each other?
Armored combat in the SCA resembles medieval foot tournaments.
Combatants can face each other in single combat in tournaments, or can
take part in large melee battles that can have dozens or even hundreds
of combatants on each side.
Since we prefer that no one gets hurt, SCA combatants wear real armor
and use rattan swords. Rattan, which looks like bamboo but has a solid
core, is springy enough to absorb some of the force of the blow without
snapping, and light enough to approximate the weight of a steel sword.
Swords are constructed by wrapping a yard-long piece of rattan in duct
tape and attaching a hilt. Building armor is much more complex – a
complete suit has many parts, which can be made from hammered steel,
rivets, leather, even rigid plastic (if well-disguised). Some pieces of armor
can take many, many hours to construct.
Novice fighters are trained by the more experienced fighters. They are
taught how to use their weapons, how to defend themselves, and how to
judge blows received in combat. Every fighter on the field is on his/her
honor to accept a blow sufficient to "wound" or "kill". At the end of
training, if the marshals (our safety officers) decide that the fighter is safe
– not necessarily good, but unlikely to hurt him or herself or an
opponent – then the fighter is considered authorized to fight. The
process of becoming authorized can take from a few weeks to several
months.
Another type of SCA combat is fencing, also known as rapier combat.
Participants use real blades and for protection they wear regulation
fencing masks, padded torso protection, and shirts and pants made
from heavy fabric to protect their limbs. Unlike modern fencing, SCA
fencing is done "in-the-round", and combatants can fight in close with
their opponents. Blows are acknowledged by the recipient (as in
armored combat), not by a set of judges. Fencers can face each other
one-on-one in tournaments, or in large melee battles with dozens or
even hundreds on a side.
SCA fencing has its own set of marshals who supervise the
authorization process. New fencers must demonstrate their knowledge
of the rules and ability to participate safely before they can compete in
tournaments.
In all SCA combat, safety is the most important consideration. There are
armor requirements and rules which all participants must follow. Before
combat begins, the marshals inspect the combatants' equipment to
make sure they are safe. During the battles, the marshals watch for
unsafe situations and keep spectators safe.
Why do you all have such funny names?
Every person in the SCA picks a name to go by in the Society. It could be
something simple and familiar (Mary of London or Thomas the Smith) or
something elaborate and exotic-sounding (Oisin Dubh mac Lochlainn).
However, no one may use the name of an actual person from history or
legend (such as "Richard the Lionheart").
The SCA has its own College of Arms to help you select and register an
SCA name and heraldic device. The College of Arms has many
resources to assist members in their research, to ensure that their
names and devices are appropriate to the world we try to recreate, and
that each registered name and device will be unique.
Don't worry about figuring out a name before you join the group. Many
people go by <real first name> of <name of SCA group> for a while until
they figure out what name they'd like to adopt.
Some SCA members try to create an entire "persona" for themselves, as
someone who could have lived in a specific time and place within the
scope of the SCA, fitting their costume and activities to that persona.
Some dedicated people try to behave at events as if they actually were
their persona. Others simply pick a name and go ahead with life in the
"Current Middle Ages."
Even our local groups have their own names. Lansing, Michigan is "The
Barony of Northwoods"; Toronto, Ontario is "The Royal City of
Eoforwic"; Boston, Massachusetts is "The Barony of Carolingia"; and
the San Francisco Bay area is the "The Principality of the Mists".
Rank in the SCA, or Who are those people wearing crowns?
The SCA has an elaborate system of rank, awards, and honors to reward
participants' accomplishments and service to the Society. Everyone is
presumed to be minor nobility when they join the SCA, but any noble
titles or honors used in the SCA must be earned in the SCA. These
honors are bestowed by the King and Queen during their Royal Courts.
You will find that the SCA's system of rank differs rather radically from
that of Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Like many of
the SCA's institutions, our system of rank wasn't so much planned as
evolved.
The people wearing crowns are the reigning Kings and Queens. The
heirs to the kingdom, the Prince and Princess, wear coronets which are
usually a little less elaborate. In principalities, the reigning Prince and
Princess wear coronets, as do their heirs.
After departing the thrones, former royalty become Royal Peers:
Viscounts and Viscountesses (those who ruled principalities), Counts
and Countesses (those who have reigned once as King or Queen), and
Dukes and Duchesses (those who have reigned twice or more as King
or Queen). The different Royal Peers are entitled to wear coronets in a
specific style.
Another group of people entitled to wear coronets are Barons and
Baronesses. They may be in charge of a Barony, or may have simply
received the title of Court Baron (or Baroness) as a reward from the
royalty.
Bestowed Peers are those who, through talent, hard work, and long
effort, have earned recognition for their contributions and skills. There
are three of these peerage orders. Companions of the Order of Chivalry
are Knights and Masters-at-Arms, fighters who have achieved great skill
on the tourney field and are considered by the other members of the
Chivalry to be models of prowess, chivalry, and honor. Companions of
the Order of the Laurel are craftsmen and artisans recognized for their
research and skill in crafts practiced during the Middle Ages and
Renaissance, and their willingness to teach those skills to others.
Companions of Order of the Pelican are those whose service has made a
great difference to the SCA. Companions include those who have run
Society-wide publications, organized our largest events, held kingdom
offices, and managed complicated finances.
The above ranks are common to all the SCA Kingdoms. Each kingdom
also has its own set of awards and honors that can be given to reward a
variety of skills, efforts, and achievements.
Feasting, Dancing and Merrymaking
The major activity in the SCA is our events - the opportunity for us to put
on our medieval clothing, cook and serve the recipes we've been
researching, dance the dances we've been practicing, socialize, and
generally have a good time. You can find a variety of SCA events taking
place almost every weekend of the year, including: Tournaments,
coronations, masked balls, collegiums, interkingdom wars, and more.
Activities at events can include fighting, fencing, archery, art
exhibits/competitions, indoor games, feasts and royal or baronial court.
What kind of person joins the SCA?
SCA participants are just plain folks who enjoy doing something more
with their weekends. People from all walks of life join the SCA –
students, teachers, historians, writers, secretaries, law enforcement
personnel, chemists, and insurance agents. Many SCA participants are
involved in high tech fields – computers, aerospace, high energy
physics, etc. People who spend all week with highly complex, modern
technology can find it relaxing to spend their leisure time using simpler
technologies in a less modern setting.
How you can get involved
We welcome you to come to our local meetings and events. You are not
required to buy a membership before you start attending, although you
may wish to join if you decide to be with us regularly. Members do pay
lower entry fees to events, and some kingdoms require membership to
participate in certain activities.
Many local groups have officers called "chatelaines" or "hospitallers"
whose sole duty is to help new members find their way in the SCA, and
they can provide you with loaner costumes for your first event. Each
SCA participant remembers the day he or she started, and most people
are happy to help out a newcomer.
To locate the group nearest you, see the "Finding a local SCA Group"
section on our "Information for Newcomers" webpage (www.sca.
org/chatelain/newcomers.html). If you can't determine which local group
covers your area, contact the kingdom chatelaine/hospitaller through
your kingdom's website. Failing all else, you can contact the Society
Chatelaine at chatelaine@sca.org.
Welcome to the Current Middle Ages!
This article is based on one originally written in 1996 by Mistress
Siobhan Medhbh O'Roarke.
including combat, archery, equestrian activities, costuming, cooking,
metalwork, woodworking, music, dance, calligraphy, fiber arts, and
much more. If it was done in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, odds are
you'll find someone in the SCA interested in recreating it.
What makes the SCA different from a Humanities 101 class is the active
participation in the learning process. To learn about the clothing of the
period, you research it, then sew and wear it yourself. To learn about
combat, you put on armor (which you may have built yourself) and learn
how to defeat your opponent. To learn brewing, you make (and sample!)
your own wines, meads and beers.
You will frequently hear SCA participants describe the SCA as recreating
the Middle Ages "as they ought to have been." In some ways this is true
– we choose to use indoor plumbing, heated halls, and sewing
machines. In the dead of winter we have more to eat than King's
venison, salt pork and dried tubers. However, a better description is that
we selectively recreate the culture, choosing elements of the culture that
interest and attract us.
How did the SCA begin?
The SCA started in 1966, when a few friends who were history buffs and
science fiction/fantasy fans hosted a big outdoor party in Berkeley,
California. The invitation stated that a Tournament would be held on the
first of May, summoning "all knights to defend in single combat the title
of 'fairest' for their ladies."
Everyone enjoyed the first tournament so much that they agreed a
second should be run, but in a larger setting. In order to reserve one of
the public parks for the gathering, the organizers needed to list a name
for their group on the application. Since recreating the Middle Ages in
20th-century Berkeley was an anachronism (something "out of time"),
and because the goal was creativity, they came up with "The Society for
Creative Anachronism". It was a spur-of-the-moment invention; they had
no idea that the name would stay with their group into the future.
Word of the SCA spread via friends and science-fiction fandom. There
were 6 events held in the first year, and 9 in the second. In the third year,
a chapter was founded on the East Coast (the East Kingdom –
distinguishing it from the West Kingdom); the Californians incorporated
the SCA as a non-profit educational society, and away they went. Since
1966, the Society has grown to nineteen kingdoms, which cover the U.S.,
Canada, Europe, Asia, South Africa, and Australia. There are over 30,000
paid members of the corporation, and the total number of participants is
around 60,000 people.
How is the SCA organized?
The SCA "Knowne World" is divided into Kingdoms, each ruled by a
King and Queen who gain the throne by winning a Crown Tournament,
held semi-annually. There are also a Prince and Princess (the heirs to the
throne), and a council of Great Officers who handle the day-to-day
business of running the kingdom.
Within a kingdom (which may cover many states and thousands of
square miles) there are subdivisions called Principalities, and local
chapters called Baronies, Shires, and Cantons. Each group has its own
slate of officers to run it. It is the members of the local chapters who
actually plan and run the events, practices, and other activities for SCA
participants.
Households and Guilds exist as unofficial groups within the SCA, and
determine their own internal structure. Some households have a feudal
basis, consisting of a Knight and his lady, and their squires and men-at-
arms. Other households are founded by participants who are all
interested in focusing their recreation on the same era in history. And
some households are simply groups of friends who like to socialize and
travel to events together. Guilds are founded by groups of artisans who
come together to share their knowledge. They can set their own rules
about how guild members demonstrate skill to gain rank within the guild.
Fighting in the SCA, or Why are those people hitting each other?
Armored combat in the SCA resembles medieval foot tournaments.
Combatants can face each other in single combat in tournaments, or can
take part in large melee battles that can have dozens or even hundreds
of combatants on each side.
Since we prefer that no one gets hurt, SCA combatants wear real armor
and use rattan swords. Rattan, which looks like bamboo but has a solid
core, is springy enough to absorb some of the force of the blow without
snapping, and light enough to approximate the weight of a steel sword.
Swords are constructed by wrapping a yard-long piece of rattan in duct
tape and attaching a hilt. Building armor is much more complex – a
complete suit has many parts, which can be made from hammered steel,
rivets, leather, even rigid plastic (if well-disguised). Some pieces of armor
can take many, many hours to construct.
Novice fighters are trained by the more experienced fighters. They are
taught how to use their weapons, how to defend themselves, and how to
judge blows received in combat. Every fighter on the field is on his/her
honor to accept a blow sufficient to "wound" or "kill". At the end of
training, if the marshals (our safety officers) decide that the fighter is safe
– not necessarily good, but unlikely to hurt him or herself or an
opponent – then the fighter is considered authorized to fight. The
process of becoming authorized can take from a few weeks to several
months.
Another type of SCA combat is fencing, also known as rapier combat.
Participants use real blades and for protection they wear regulation
fencing masks, padded torso protection, and shirts and pants made
from heavy fabric to protect their limbs. Unlike modern fencing, SCA
fencing is done "in-the-round", and combatants can fight in close with
their opponents. Blows are acknowledged by the recipient (as in
armored combat), not by a set of judges. Fencers can face each other
one-on-one in tournaments, or in large melee battles with dozens or
even hundreds on a side.
SCA fencing has its own set of marshals who supervise the
authorization process. New fencers must demonstrate their knowledge
of the rules and ability to participate safely before they can compete in
tournaments.
In all SCA combat, safety is the most important consideration. There are
armor requirements and rules which all participants must follow. Before
combat begins, the marshals inspect the combatants' equipment to
make sure they are safe. During the battles, the marshals watch for
unsafe situations and keep spectators safe.
Why do you all have such funny names?
Every person in the SCA picks a name to go by in the Society. It could be
something simple and familiar (Mary of London or Thomas the Smith) or
something elaborate and exotic-sounding (Oisin Dubh mac Lochlainn).
However, no one may use the name of an actual person from history or
legend (such as "Richard the Lionheart").
The SCA has its own College of Arms to help you select and register an
SCA name and heraldic device. The College of Arms has many
resources to assist members in their research, to ensure that their
names and devices are appropriate to the world we try to recreate, and
that each registered name and device will be unique.
Don't worry about figuring out a name before you join the group. Many
people go by <real first name> of <name of SCA group> for a while until
they figure out what name they'd like to adopt.
Some SCA members try to create an entire "persona" for themselves, as
someone who could have lived in a specific time and place within the
scope of the SCA, fitting their costume and activities to that persona.
Some dedicated people try to behave at events as if they actually were
their persona. Others simply pick a name and go ahead with life in the
"Current Middle Ages."
Even our local groups have their own names. Lansing, Michigan is "The
Barony of Northwoods"; Toronto, Ontario is "The Royal City of
Eoforwic"; Boston, Massachusetts is "The Barony of Carolingia"; and
the San Francisco Bay area is the "The Principality of the Mists".
Rank in the SCA, or Who are those people wearing crowns?
The SCA has an elaborate system of rank, awards, and honors to reward
participants' accomplishments and service to the Society. Everyone is
presumed to be minor nobility when they join the SCA, but any noble
titles or honors used in the SCA must be earned in the SCA. These
honors are bestowed by the King and Queen during their Royal Courts.
You will find that the SCA's system of rank differs rather radically from
that of Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Like many of
the SCA's institutions, our system of rank wasn't so much planned as
evolved.
The people wearing crowns are the reigning Kings and Queens. The
heirs to the kingdom, the Prince and Princess, wear coronets which are
usually a little less elaborate. In principalities, the reigning Prince and
Princess wear coronets, as do their heirs.
After departing the thrones, former royalty become Royal Peers:
Viscounts and Viscountesses (those who ruled principalities), Counts
and Countesses (those who have reigned once as King or Queen), and
Dukes and Duchesses (those who have reigned twice or more as King
or Queen). The different Royal Peers are entitled to wear coronets in a
specific style.
Another group of people entitled to wear coronets are Barons and
Baronesses. They may be in charge of a Barony, or may have simply
received the title of Court Baron (or Baroness) as a reward from the
royalty.
Bestowed Peers are those who, through talent, hard work, and long
effort, have earned recognition for their contributions and skills. There
are three of these peerage orders. Companions of the Order of Chivalry
are Knights and Masters-at-Arms, fighters who have achieved great skill
on the tourney field and are considered by the other members of the
Chivalry to be models of prowess, chivalry, and honor. Companions of
the Order of the Laurel are craftsmen and artisans recognized for their
research and skill in crafts practiced during the Middle Ages and
Renaissance, and their willingness to teach those skills to others.
Companions of Order of the Pelican are those whose service has made a
great difference to the SCA. Companions include those who have run
Society-wide publications, organized our largest events, held kingdom
offices, and managed complicated finances.
The above ranks are common to all the SCA Kingdoms. Each kingdom
also has its own set of awards and honors that can be given to reward a
variety of skills, efforts, and achievements.
Feasting, Dancing and Merrymaking
The major activity in the SCA is our events - the opportunity for us to put
on our medieval clothing, cook and serve the recipes we've been
researching, dance the dances we've been practicing, socialize, and
generally have a good time. You can find a variety of SCA events taking
place almost every weekend of the year, including: Tournaments,
coronations, masked balls, collegiums, interkingdom wars, and more.
Activities at events can include fighting, fencing, archery, art
exhibits/competitions, indoor games, feasts and royal or baronial court.
What kind of person joins the SCA?
SCA participants are just plain folks who enjoy doing something more
with their weekends. People from all walks of life join the SCA –
students, teachers, historians, writers, secretaries, law enforcement
personnel, chemists, and insurance agents. Many SCA participants are
involved in high tech fields – computers, aerospace, high energy
physics, etc. People who spend all week with highly complex, modern
technology can find it relaxing to spend their leisure time using simpler
technologies in a less modern setting.
How you can get involved
We welcome you to come to our local meetings and events. You are not
required to buy a membership before you start attending, although you
may wish to join if you decide to be with us regularly. Members do pay
lower entry fees to events, and some kingdoms require membership to
participate in certain activities.
Many local groups have officers called "chatelaines" or "hospitallers"
whose sole duty is to help new members find their way in the SCA, and
they can provide you with loaner costumes for your first event. Each
SCA participant remembers the day he or she started, and most people
are happy to help out a newcomer.
To locate the group nearest you, see the "Finding a local SCA Group"
section on our "Information for Newcomers" webpage (www.sca.
org/chatelain/newcomers.html). If you can't determine which local group
covers your area, contact the kingdom chatelaine/hospitaller through
your kingdom's website. Failing all else, you can contact the Society
Chatelaine at chatelaine@sca.org.
Welcome to the Current Middle Ages!
This article is based on one originally written in 1996 by Mistress
Siobhan Medhbh O'Roarke.