arianna
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One for the Fighters
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Mar 23 17:52 UTC 2001 |
Greetings, everyone! I recieved this from the Oldenfeld email
list, and thought I might pass it along to you.
From romas@oldenfeld.org Fri Mar 23 12:30:32 2001
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 10:17:15 -0500
From: Romas Sparkis <romas@oldenfeld.org>
Reply-To: Oldenfeld@yahoogroups.com
To: "'Oldenfeld@onelist.com'" <Oldenfeld@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [Oldenfeld] An hour in armor
A friend of mine sent me this perspective on the SCA from an Ottawa
reporter. Enjoy!
---
A Reporter came out to one of our Fighter Practices this past Sunday and did
a small bit on it in one of our "artsie papers". Its actually quite a funny
read. There are a couple of mistakes (like you get a Pelican for Service not
Arts) but I think the Reporter got the point..
Two friends of mine are the individuals that are reconstructing a Saxon Mead
Hall up on one of our Knights (Duke Sir Finnvarr) property (Bonfield, not
North Bay, Ont - Flaming Sky) using post-hole spacings found in British
excavations. As well the individual named herein (Althewyn) is actually,
Aelfwyn Longwood (she is a fighter and also can do (or has tried) just about
every other Art).
Micaylah
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My kingdom for a hobby
by Alex Mortimer
The Ottawa XPress
Things I learned during an hour in a suit of armour with the Society for
Creative Anachronism...
Shields are heavy.
If I dropped the shield and ran he'd catch me.
A blow to the head is actually the safest blow to take.
I could own an authentic reproduction steel helm, made in Ottawa, for $150.
There are people building a Saxon house in North Bay using post-hole
spacings found in British excavations.
I can't hit him in the knee because he wants to go to work tomorrow.
I can have my own coat of arms on my shield if I clear the design with the
College of Heralds, who will make sure I have two distinct differences.
The Society for Creative Anachronism started as a costume party in San
Francisco 35 years ago and got a little out of control.
It is hard to conduct a professional, confidence-inspiring radio interview
while wearing a steel great-helm.
The world is divided into 15 Kingdoms; each Kingdom has a king chosen
through tournament every six months. Once chosen, the king spends six months
as a prince where he learns the job.
I need a hobby where I can sit more.
Ottawa has one of the world's premier goatskin parchment and velum makers.
I would not be allowed to take the name of an historical figure, (Norman the
Conqueror) or a fantasy figure (Conan the Barbarian) but, using a
little-known loophole, I could take the name Norman the Barbarian.
It is hard to get a guy to hold a microphone between two guys in armour
beating the snot out of each other.
I used to have a barber called Norman the Barbarian.
Receiving a blow to the head - the safest blow to receive - is a drag.
If I want to make my own armour, I should start with wax-hardened shoe
soles.
The man in the photo, Cennedi, was promoted to knight after many years in
the Society and a polling of the other knights of the kingdom.
Cennedi is a good fighter. When he fights, everybody watches.
Cennedi has a Squire who kindly let me use his armour.
One will blurt "Uncle" repeatedly after a blow to the head. There's no way
around it. I hadn't said "Uncle" in 25 years.
A lot of knights died from blunt trauma or from multiple small contusions
under the armour.
I could take Cennedi if I had a gun.
Fighting is the most visible aspect of the Society, but they replicate all
aspects of the period: the arts; the crafts; the engineering; the food;
clothing; and, sciences.
When you master a medieval science, like glass-blowing, you are called a
Pelican.
Some believe pelicans poke their chest with their beaks to feed their young
with their own blood.
You can't see dick-all through a closed-faced helm.
Monks used to make a liquor out of goat's milk that everyone agrees was
disgusting.
Rothgar believes the first two times in armour, everyone feels weird. The
third time, it all comes together.
Althewyn says I had good combat instincts.
There are people who have translated the English language into Klingon.
There are people who re-enact only a given summer in a given year in the
Middle Ages. They're crazy.
War of 1812 re-enactors sound like a humourless lot who believe the Society
for Creative Anachronism is too commercial.
I don't want to share a tent with anyone who can speak Klingon.
I had no idea escapism was this much work.
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Lucia Bellini
Baroness, Windmasters' Hill
Companion of the Pearl
Guildmistress, Windmasters' Hill Scriptorium
http://scribe.atlantia.sca.org/gallery/Lucia
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