Welcome to the Current Middle Ages

"The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. is a non-profit educational organization concerned with the study of the Middle Ages. The S.C.A. recreates the arts and skills of Medieval Europe within the framework of the events of the times."

So goes the official line. So. What is it really about?

Well, it's kings and queens, weapons, armor, food, clothing, brewing, archery, wars, leatherwork, woodwork, metalwork, revels, feasts, events, learning, people, language, history, culture, festivals, places, games, weddings, dance, songs, music, heraldry, scribes, minstrels, embroidery, falconry, footwear, tents, encampments, pavilions, merchants, bards, fencing, stonework, regalia, banners and flags, knights, combat, lords and ladies, chivalry, tournaments, drinking, barons, earls, dukes, cartography, drums, bagpipes, alchemy, ceramics, court, fine arts, horn, jewelry, lace, metal, manuscripts, needlework, musical instruments, performing arts, tools, toys, writing, storytelling, collegia, theatre, illumination, vinting, glasswork, cloth, herbs, animal husbandry, horticulture, forges, scholarship, honor, mead, ale, romans, celts, anglo saxans, pilgrimages, crusades, medieval sciences and technologies, guilds, poetry, painting, swords, poles, axes, gemstones, peers, the railto...

Well... You get the idea.

The SCA is a little bit of everything, within reason. It is a crossroad where different historic periods intermingle. Imagine a 9th century Norse viking meets an Elizabethan noblewoman and they spend the day together walking along a row of merchants. Where the sounds of music play counter-point to the sounds of a large scale field battle.

Primarily, the SCA is about education. At first glance it appears to be nothing more than a bunch of people in costume, just like a ren faire. On a deeper look there is more to it than that. "For the most part," members of the SCA take a more serious interest in the image they present. Often a persona will be created to interact with others. While a Ren Faire entertainer is playing a part, the SCA participant is attempting to be their persona.
A small difference it can be argued, but while a ren faire act will act a previously determined part, nothing in the SCA is scripted or previously determined.

    It should be noted that no one expects perfection at the beginning. No matter how "perfect or in period" someone may appear, everyone started out at the beginning. "What do I want to do?" "What kind of Persona do I want?" "How do I find out about X?"
    More often than not, there is someone that has started out wanting to do the very thing any beginner may want to do. People share knowledge, and help "newbies" become part of the Society. When you join, you are surrouned by a group of people that want you to succeed in integrating with the Society, and these people will help you fit in, and help you fulfill your version of "The Dream."
    Having said that, there is a catch to this enveloping welcome. It returns to a comment about many groups of welcoming people. "If you act as if you want to be left alone, people will leave you alone." People in the current middle ages do not pull an unwilling person into the game.

Okay, so this page is, and should be about me. Rather my persona.

Name

Okay, so I have a tentative name. There are other options, depending on a number of things. I think that I am leaning towards either Donnchad or Mael-Coluim. Simple translation to modern English would be Duncan or Malcolm. Of course these options may all change in the next hour, day, or week.

Okay, great. Now what am I? Um. Well that is a little more fuzzy. But I have a foggy idea {That refuses to be nailed down.} So here goes:

I was born the son of a highland gael, and a lowland scot. Yeah, not really original, or very likely. But hey it's my story. Father died and I went, with my mum, to live with her family. This put me closer to the Scottish court, and troubles that a young man tends to join in on. Namely fighting the English, border raids, etc. I end up on a ship in storm. The ship is swamped, I go under and wake up on the shores of this land. While I try to find my way home, I have to survive, so I make something of a home for myself in this Middle Kingdom, in the Barony of the Cleftlands.

Pretty simple, I am certain it will get better and more detailed in time. And that is part of the game we play, attempts at simple period-like play ends up becoming refined and better as we research our own period and meet those interested in what we like.
It seems to me to be the ultimate in scholarship. There can be a total sharing of knowledge without the worry that someone is going to claim the scholarship as their own. This is a pretty kick butt concept to me.

Interests

Okay, so that is a name and a background. But what the devil do I like to do? Well, as I'm just getting started, I find that I am mostly focused on getting involved, somehow, doing something. Not all that easy, but easy enough. Here's an idea of what I am interested in, and how interested I am in those areas.
Maybe I'll get fancy and put together some more detailed information. For now I'll just drop some information and links.

Heavy Weapons Combat - also sometimes called Hard Suit. Heavy weapons combat is modelled after combat practice from period. This combat is based upon preiod styles, weapons, and technniques. There are minimum safety requirements for protection as well as training before someone is allowed to take the field.
Caligraphy and Illumination - The Scribal Arts. For many years the only way to have books or other written documents wass for scribes to work hours to create one page.
Manuscripts and scrolls are part of the artistic psat we endeavor to recreate. The great thing is that we also have the ability to create such pieces of art now, using a mix of modern and period equipment and techniques. I have always been interested in calligraphy. Being a lefty is a little problem there, but there are ways around that, so no worries.
Heraldry - Heraldry, both dealing with devices and voice heraldry. Heralds help members with registering their names and devices. Heralds also stand in court reading announcements and scrolls for the crown.
Armoring - Armor is a key part of the knight's world. A good armorer is worth much to those that relay upon armor to survive battles and come home. Armoring is a noble art, requiring strength, skill, artistry. Making leather, metal and other bits work together to protect the wearer.
Fire, hammer and anvil, metal... All come together to form some really wicked armor.
{More information as I work on it.}

    The Dream... Many people will talk about "The Dream." This page is even titled, "In service to the dream..."
    So, what is the dream?

    The dream is many different things to many different people. You can ask ten different people and get twenty different answers to the question. Here is my take:

The dream in its simplest form is what we are part of. The society that we, in our free time and luxury, create is the dream...the middle ages as they should have been. Individually, the dream can be much more. It can be the expression of feelings of being out of time....being born in the wrong time. Some feel that way, others don't. The great thing about "The Dream" is that all of the SCA belongs, and fits together, while each member may see the dream differently. Not much, but that's what I would say if asked about "The Dream."

Dictionary and Links

Everyone has links on their site. I have some, mostly group related links, from kingdom down to local. Also things I find helpful or interesting will find their way here as well.

SCA Dictionary - Soon to be new multi-paged monster. Hopefully with Pictures. {Whee! I like taking pictures.}
Links - Just a bunch of links. Eventually, they'll be sorted better and put into something that looks better.

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my Main Page.