Medieval Mayhem (SCA and other medieval related chatter)

[WildTaltos]

so if i went one dresssed as iron age celt or bronze age gael or neolithic guy or hunter-gatherrer i wouldnt be messing up the game or anthing?

[Wren of the Brown]

A neolithic hunter would get some looks but if you could teach a class on flint knapping, all would be forgiven.

[Wren of the Brown]

But don't quote me on that. There are a lot of fringers in the SCA that play along with us but don't necessarily fit into the medieval spectrum. I'm always willing to meet people who bring something new to the SCA but I can't speak for the rest of the society. If you wanted to register a name and device, it would have to meet certain requirements. You would be able to dress like a Bronze Age Gaul or a neolithic tribesman but you wouldn't be able to have any of the official bits that come along with it.

 

Maybe someone with more experience could respond better. I don't want to give you bad info or a false impression.

[_Kynwric_]

Just remember you have to meet normal, mundane laws while doing your impression. Bronze Age is a little early, but has been done, as I recall. Neolithic is outside of History, and into Archaeology, and that stretches the bounds a little far, in my opinion.

[U4ea]

Yep, what he said.

 

I stick around the 14th century, myself. ;)

[Ryrin]

Hamstring injury is healing.  I'm ready to get back in soon.  I've going to get some clothes within the month.

[Wren of the Brown]

The Shire is having a demonstration this weekend. I wanted to go but I'm doing a lot of moving today and tomorrow.

 

Almost out of that place! :D

[Ryrin]

Good. Then you can go back in time!!

[WildTaltos]

bronze age in Éire is outside of history, if by history mean writen records, and so is iron age fior a very large part, much of what meaninful come from archaology and intrepretin it thruogh anthropologicall sources, most of what hear of iron age friom historicall sources is caling everyone who live here the worstt sort of barbarianns, practicin canibalism and incest, etc. if game is exclusivly for those who have historical - written - source for thir costume, rathe then oral/legendary cross-refernced with archaelogical evidence, that rules out most of evrything before medievall in my culture so guess isnt anythin for me

[Wren of the Brown]

http://szarka.typepad.com/sca/2009/05/bronze-bog-dresses.html

 

A recreation of clothing finds from the prehistoric Danish site of Borum Eshoj, 1350BC.

 

But you don't have to play if you don't to.

[WildTaltos]

that was reconstructd using archaology - ie bog body - so feel like geting mix singal; kyn semed suggest if has basis in archelogy but not history then thats going to far, and asuming he is clasifying history as written testimonials becuase wouldnt know how else to differentiat between what falls undr archaoligical evidence and historica evidence (becuse archalogical evidence is part of stpry of the world and therefor part of history if we were usin more abstract definition of history)

[Wren of the Brown]

So, here's what she can and can't do with such an old find.

 

She can recreate the material goods and daily life of a Danish bog woman, as she's done with the garments and other items. Nobody is going to tell her she can't wear a hand sewn garment that was patterned from a grave site, especially if she is artful. She can even go so far as to submit those items into an Arts and Sciences show and she might even win an award for her work. As part of reconstructing that grave find, she can present an outline of that historic personage as part of a "persona": a day in the life of a Danish bog woman and we might even be able to speculate on her life story.

 

However, since much of the fun of the SCA is the pageantry, she would not be able to submit a historic name (since we have no record -at all-) nor can she submit a heraldic device for that individual (since that comes many thousands of years of later.) However, she can have a society name and a device for her other primary persona, which you'll see that she has more than a few. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this well enougj for you. Ultimately, it can and often is done but there are definitely no chivalric official bits that come with it.

 

As for your concern regarding past depictions of prehistoric Ireland, it does not follow that SCAdians will treat you badly because past historians have poorly depicted that culture. We like to depict history without the ugly parts. Who wants to spend a weekend being a serf or reenacting a witch hunt? Not I. So I wouldn't expect a cold shoulder for your persona because of historic prejudices.

[WildTaltos]

i think get it now - most of fun of it is fromm medievall stuff, like heraldry annd etiquete, but you can do  other reconstructons thogh wouldnt be abl do as much things if isnt medievall. gues would have to go to one just to see whatts realy like.

 

meant more thatt history dosnt realy say much at all about it, becase just saying someone is cannibals doesnt say very much abuot them even if true, not necesarily because very ugly. lol i woulldnt mind role playing a prehistoricc headhunting cannibal at all. 

[U4ea]

My Celt persona is later period, and 1350. The English baronies in southern Ireland, at the time, give me a lot of stuff to play with. :-)

 

 

 

BTW, Kynwric was accepted into the Sable Sword this weekend! *grins like an idiot*

[_Kynwric_]

You might want to tell them what the Sable Sword is, dear.

 

Hiarth is correct, and Taltos sums it up nicely. The SCA is an umbrella organization and all we require is an attempt at medieval costume.

[Wren of the Brown]

Congrats, Kyn!

[Wren of the Brown]

A few members from a newer Shire made the drive into town for this morning's fighter practice and I'm glad I caught their message on Facebook otherwise they would have made the hour drive for nothing.  Their Shire burst into existence a few years ago but there's only one heavy fighter down there and he came up to get some armor time in. The rest of our Shire was at a household event; most of our fighters are members of that household so when they leave town, pretty much everyone goes with them.  One of our newer fighters is coming back and he's always a challenging fight.  He worked with the sheriff's department and learned riot and baton fighting, so he's got rolls and wraps down like nobody's business.  After the three of us did some sword and shield, we moved onto single sword.  I always seem to get out of position in that style and usually end up with some nice welts across my back.  

 

I mean, look at this. You know what's going to come next. Oh, well! Something to work on.

 

 

 

 

We decided to try something different: knife fighting.  :D  I had a pair of daggers so we squared off and had a good time of it.  It's a lot more intimate in that format and I don't like committing because You Will Get Cut.

 

The heat won out and we decided to call it a day around noon.

[U4ea]

You might want to tell them what the Sable Sword is, dear.

 

I can do that! Of course, you could've, too, since you were here!

Those who have served the kingdom with longtime excellence, quality, and chivalry in the fulfullment of duties of a martial nature, and have shown outstanding skill and accomplishment in the Martial Arts, have imparted those skills to the populace of Meridies by regular teaching and sharing of ability in their particular specialty, and have distinguished themselves in war, on tournament fields, and in the training of new fighters may be considered for the Order of the Sable Sword. This is an armigerous award and can only be received by a paid SCA member.

 

From the kingdom page!

[_Kynwric_]

In short, it is the Grant level tournament fighting award.

[U4ea]

Um... yeah, that! 

[Wren of the Brown]

An important life lesson.

 

Fingers are not for blocking greatswords.

[Wren of the Brown]

So I guess I'm wenching again.

 

This might have been a mistake. We'll see.

[Ryrin]

I'm going to an SCA event tomorrow!!

[Wren of the Brown]

Yes! Tell us everything!

[Ryrin]

Shoot. It's not today. The date is wrong. :(