The Armour Archive

A college buddy of mine, who never joined the SCA, put it this way: "I see you wooing SCA, marrying SCA, and raising a whole bunch of little SCAs!" [his phrasing -- I'd have said "little Scadians," myself]

Two out of three ain't bad. I met my wife through the SCA, and she tells a hilarious story of disbelieving my mundane name until we'd known each other a month or so and she asked me what it was! She blanched, she says. (I've no recollection of this at all -- perhaps I was not looking.) Nerdly shy people can find their soulmates in the SCA, which has to be one of the best groups on Earth for the "folk of the air" to meet. This is really the pinnacle of what I found in SCAdia's fair realm, which was something like instant family, made up of people precisely as bloody-minded as I; no more, no less.

I also like that fact that I can go to an event with my family, including our 3 year old daughter, and for the most part, be much less concerned for her saftey and well being.

Our events have enough people at them who have children that there is an extensive Childrens activities room, and for the most part I know a majority of the people there and do not have to keep her attached to me at all times, like at the Mall.

God help the fool who'd lay an untoward hand on a child at an event. I know one or two who would try if they didn't know that there were a lot of armed, eager adults willing to rec-tify the situation.

SCA likes

I like when I'm sitting in my pavilion, gnawing a bone and enjoying a fine vintage with my lady wife and a few close friends at an event in the evening, while period music is cheerfully played and the light of the lanterns glows under the canopies of the other pavilions. The smell of woodsmoke on the air and the sound of drums in the distance adds to the atmosphere. I can almost believe I'm a nobleman in the late 12th century then...and I'm content.

Does that count?



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Robert Coleman, Jr.

The Noble Companie and Order of St. Maurice
<B>Those who beat their swords into plowshares end up plowing for those who don't.

Remember: In Living History/Reinactment,Real Life is the Great Leveler of Man.</B>

I like when I'm sitting in my cheap nylon tent, gnawing a can of Denny Moore Stew and enjoying a fine vintage Miller Light with my lady wife, five kids and the guy that wont stop talking at an event in the evening, while period rock music is cheerfully played and the light of the baseball stadium lights glows under the canopies of the other dome tents. The smell of woodsmoke on the air with the burning plastic forks and such and the sound of drunks in the distance adds to the atmosphere. I can almost believe I'm a nobleman in the late 20thish century then...and I'm content that I'm not at work.


Sorry, I could not resist.

A few Pennsics ago I wound up in a conversation with some new young fighter (didn't know him from Adam) while waiting and waiting for the field melee to start. Later that day in the merchants area I ran into the young man, and his friends and was invited to dinner at their encampment.
So I went back to my camp to get a bottle of something to bring, the kid looked at my set up (double bell wedge, shield and weapon racks, tables, chairs, and a few squires) and got a bit ancy about wether I should visit their camp since it was a bit spartan, I refused to let him rescind the invitation.
I wound up in a camp full of cheap nylon tents, a hibachi, a few tiki torches, various pieces of armor, and a cooler full of bear wizz bear, kielbasa, and cheese.
I don't think I was ever hosted as generously by anyone as I was by these guys, halfway through the evening I thought "wait I remember this place I was a boy here", They were every group of six or seven friends who fall togeather during their first years in the SCA, help each other, cover each other,
and encourage each other.
I love SCA for giving someone with a few bucks to spend on a hobby a place where they can go to start out, learn, and grow.
I love the fact that you can watch someone decide that they will learn to do an art, or trade, set themselves to the task, and go from putterer to craftsman, with other members appreciating the work produced at every stage in between.
I love the idea that every now and then someone decides that his persona is his one chance to become someone other than the person (in the modern world) who has never managed to acomplish a damn thing. It's interesting to see some people from this sad old world encountering honor, and integrety and deciding that it is worth having in every aspect of their life now that they've found it in a peculiar hobby.
And as my wife once put it where else can you go, change interests and activities three or four times, and still have the same friends?

Hummm....Woods battle. Hey i am from the Cascades and any time I can runn around busting up flat landers I am happy. As for the other stuff, I mut admit I like home brewed stuff. Even if it has the word Dragon, Death, Breath, Marsh, Toxic , or vapor in its name. Something about an idividual that took to time to wiat for time so that he/she can share that thing with someone else. Also, I dig a great mix of cultures and time periods mixing. Once I killed a few Spartan lookin dudes, faught some Tucuxs, and then got killed by some 15 centry lookin knight dude. Then some Japanese lookin dudes jumped over my body to kill him. Very cool. Oh and bellydancing. Nothin wrong with that.


Jay

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Bascot:
So you are saying there would be no English Heritage sponsored groups such as the Vikings or Regia Anglorium, no continental living history groups, that the SCA was responsible for the groups in Russia, Australia, etc...........right.</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Alright now, listen. Are those groups based in the U.S.? No.

The SCA is one of the first groups to attempt to give all us immigrants over here a sense of our own history. A sense of where we came from, beyond the shores of the great sea.

The SCA grew up simultaneously with a search for our own cultural roots, in response to the bland melting pot we have created for ourselves in America.

I entered the SCA searching for that same thing. Something to counter the era of colonial rape that we of european descent are known for. Something to counter the 'naked fairies in the forest' neopagan idealism. To counter the swastika wielding boneheads' fanatical definition of what it means to be who I am.

I came to the SCA looking for a working alternative to modern society. To some extent I found that. I advocate a social evolution towards tribal anarchism. In the SCA I found some semblance of that in the guise of the myriad households it is composed of.

I believe that the industrial revolution (among other things) has relieved us of our social foundation, made us solipsistic individuals with no cause or care for our fellow man. Within the SCA I see the reversal of that. The many instances described above; the hospitality, the camaraderie, the overall sense of communal inter-responsibilty (Here I could tell you many of my own stories.) are sorely lacking in most of our mundane lives.

Now, certainly there are instances that would seem otherwise - the politics, the egos, miscelleanous household dramas - which I have seen & been a part of. But no more than in the mundane world. It is our sense of honor; not just internal dignity but a sense of honor towards eachother, which keeps these negatives from whelming our fledgling society into the relative oblivion so many other micro-civilizations fall prey to.

All of you have said many things that I agree with, & many of your positive experiences are common to my own. (even your's David ) All of the 'negatives' together are no match for those of Mundania, & I only see them as potentials for improvement, anyway. Yes, I have a modern tent, bedding, bags, boxes - but I can dream, I can build, I can plan, & achieve. & that is just it.

We all have dreamed of a different way of life, an ideal society where we can start again, & do it right this time. The SCA is a second chance for our world, a grand experiment where another ethos holds sway. It may not be perfect, but parts of it are excellent.

Another SCA like of mine is way back when at Grand Outlandish when all I know is Sir Tore, then just Tore, his brother and some of his friends, I show up at the event and the rest of the Huns just start helping me unpack, setting up stuff and introducing me to all and sundry as "thier brother, Fearghus" I also remember going around with my "combat bota" of soju at the same event and being able to trade some shots of soju for hours of singing, dancing and music. I haven't found anyting in Mundania that even comes close. Well maybe that deadhead summer........
Slainte,
Fearghus

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"How long will we fight? We will fight until hell freezes
over. Then we fight on the ice."
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