Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where do you get those clothes, or What can I wear?
Q: Why do you all have such funny names?
Q: Fighting in the SCA, or Why are those people hitting each other?
Q: What does one do in the SCA if they don't/can't fight?
Q: What kind of person gets involved in the SCA?
Q: Where are you located, or How can I find meetings or events near me?
Q: What is an "Award of Arms" and other awards?
Q: Who is who and how to address them?
Q: How do you tell "pointy hats" (crowns and coronets) apart?
Q: What is a
"peer" and how can you recognize them?
If you asked several members what the Society for Creative Anachronism was all about, you would probably receive a different answer from each individual. To one, the Society might mean learning a new craft such as spinning wool or making wine. To another it might mean spending a weekend in a “renaissance atmosphere” complete with clothing, feasting and dancing from that era. Yet, another might say he/she enjoys battling other armed warriors on the field of honor to win his/her consort’s favor.
The Society for Creative Anachronism, (or SCA to most), is a non-profit educational organization which is dedicated to the study and re-creation of crafts, customs and ideals of pre-seventeenth century European culture. Members try to re-create life not as it was, but as it should have been during those times. We attempt to embody those lost ideals of Chivalry, Courtesy, and Honor.
Members are encouraged to research a favorite period of history between 600 & 1600 ad. While most members study mainly European cultures, everyone is free to study any culture known to Europe during this era. Members put their research into practice by learning and performing period crafts and activities. In addition, an alter-ego, or Persona, is developed and members thus become noble lords and ladies during official Society events.
There are SCA groups in nearly every city and town across the continent. The United States is divided into Kingdoms and the cities and towns contained therein are known as Baronies, Shires, and Cantons. Members of the SCA come from all walks of life and educational backgrounds. There are families and single adults, young and young at heart, who are all brought together by a common interest in the middle ages. Members meet regularly to learn or practice “period” subjects. On weekends, members travel to campsites throughout the Kingdom to participate in such activities as Collegiums, Tournaments, Arts & Science Fairs, Revels, Mock Wars, and Quests.
There are as many different facets of the SCA as there are members. While Tournament Combat and period clothing are the most visible aspects of the Society, there are many things to do for those who prefer other pastimes. Archery, leather crafting, cooking, heraldry, calligraphy, music, dancing, brewing & vinting, spinning & weaving, are just a few of the arts and sciences researched, taught, and practiced by our members.
We invite you to share our interests and enthusiasm. Join us, have fun, and experience a part of the living history movement.
Q: Where do you get those clothes, or What can I wear?
SCA members usually make their own garb, although sometimes you can barter or trade services to have someone make you simple garb. There are also merchants at many events who sell garb.
For women, a plain-colored long skirt and a peasant-type blouse will serve. A length of white cloth, can make a veil to hide modern hair. For men, try plain trousers or sweatpants (not jeans), and a peasant-style shirt that is not tucked in. A cloak, even one made of a blanket, can hide modern clothes. For accessories, try adding a pouch or drawstring purse which fits your belt or a stylized cross or pendant suspended from a chain. For shoes, choose leather boots or simple slippers (the Chinese type works well), or moccasins without fringe. Be wary of wearing metal circlets unless they are very simple. An ornate or jeweled circlet may lead you to be mistaken for titled nobility, which can be embarrassing.
Do not wear a white belt, sash, or baldric (belt across the chest). White is reserved for members of the Chivalry. Bright colored belts, such as red, green, or yellow, are often to indicate that the wearer is a student of a particular person (peer) who has been honored for excellence in a SCA field of endeavor. Although the colors are not restricted, in some kingdoms there may be a misunderstanding. Necklaces of chain links without medallions or pendants are also worn by special groups. You should avoid them until you ask about local customs.
Avoid wearing a sword until you have asked about what is permissible in your kingdom. There is a special etiquette about bearing a steel blade. To keep the knife or blade from becoming unsheathed accidentally, many people fasten a cord around it to hold it in place.
Q: Why Do you all have such funny names?
Every person in the SCA picks a name to use in the Society. It could be something simple and familiar (John of Wardcliff) or something elaborate and exotic (Oisin Dubh mac Lochlainn). Most people pick a time period in the SCA "period" (600-1600 ad) and a country (any place that can be documented and proven to have had trade with western civilization during the period), and choose a name from that. Some SCA members try to create a "persona" which could have lived in some time and place within the scope of the SCA, and fit their garb and activities to that persona; some people try to live at events as if they were their personae. Other folk simply pick a name and go ahead with life if the "Current Middle Ages."Even our towns have medieval names. Charlotte, NC is Charlesbury Crossing, Toronto is Eoforwic, Boston is Carolingia, the San Francisco bay area is the Principality of the Mists, etc.
The SCA has its own College of Arms, which assists members in choosing and registering their SCA names and heraldic devices. The College of Arms assists members in their research, to ensure that their names and devices are appropriate to the medieval world we try to create, and ensures that each person's name and device will be unique.
Q: Fighting in the SCA, or Why are those people hitting each other?
from http://sca.org/sca-intro.html
Fighting in the SCA evolved from what happened when two armed knights were unhorsed and had to fight on the ground. It resembles nothing so much as medieval foot tournaments. There are two basic types of SCA fights: single combat, and group or team battles, known as melees. SCA fighting does have rules. The first, and most important rule, is that each and every fighter on the field has honor. The fighter keeps faith with his honor by accepting blows that would be killing or wounding (more about this a little later).
The second basic principle is like the first; A fighter keeps faith with his brother fighters by acknowledging his opponent's word -- if he says a blow was too light to cause injury, then it was light. Since we prefer that no one get hurt, SCA fighting is done with real armor (made with leather, metal, padding, kydex, etc) and rattan swords. Rattan is that bamboo-y stuff, only with a solid core, that furniture is made of. Rattan, surprisingly enough, is springy enough to absorb some of the force of the blow (although blows are *real solid*) and light enough to approximate a real steel sword. Swords are made by wrapping rattan staffs with strapping tape, covering them with duct tape for aesthetic reasons, and attaching some sort of crosspiece or guard. Armor is much more complex -- some armor, being made of steel, rivets, leather, etc, can take more than 40 hours per piece of armor (for example, a gauntlet, or armored glove, with moving fingers and joints can take upwards of 75 hours to complete).
There are several essential and required pieces of armor -- a helm, and protection for the neck, cervical vertebrae, elbows, knees, kidneys, hands, and groin. In addition, most SCA fighters wear chest, leg, arm and forearm, and foot protection.
Before being allowed to participate in combat without close supervision, each fighter is trained by senior fighters, known as "marshals." This training aims at ensuring that the fighter is safe to himself or herself and to others, and typically lasts a few months. As part of this training, the novice fighter is taught how to recognize a "good" blow. Each fighter judges whether blows received in combat strike hard enough to do injury through armor. If the blow is "good" to an arm or leg, the fighter will give up use of that limb; if the blow is good to the head or body, the fighter is "dead," and falls to the ground, signaling that his opponent is victorious. At the end of training, each fighter must prove to a panel of marshals that he is competent to fight on his own. If the panel decides the fighter is safe (not good, you understand, but unlikely to hurt him or herself or an opponent) they authorized him or her to fight in tournaments. This process (from starting to fight to being authorized) can take from a couple of months to a year or more.
from http://www.ansteorra.org/regnum/hospitaler/articles/fip.htm
Medieval combat with its swords, shield, and armor attracts much attention. It is often one of the first activities that a newcomer wants to try. Both men and women actively participate in recreating medieval foot combat. Most kingdoms require a combat participant to have reached the age of majority in his or her state, province, or country, but he SCA gives the kingdoms the option of allowing participants as young as 16 to fight with parental consent. Your local marshal will tell you what the age limits are in your area.
As in any sport, there are rules designed to increase the safety of the game. The "Rules of the Lists" set out the Society’ standards for SCA combat. Each kingdom adds additional rules and requirements covering acceptability of blows, styles of weapons and fighting, and armor. The local marshal should have a copy of the current kingdoms rules.
Most local groups offer some form of fighter training, ranging from structured training sessions to an informal "I’ll teach you when I have time and if no one else will". A fighter must be authorized in order to fight in tourneys and wars. Authorization procedures vary from kingdom to kingdom. The local marshal can tell you the procedure in your area. Authorization is to confirm that the novice knows the rules of combat and is sufficiently skilled so that he or she will not be a danger to himself or others. While efforts are made by the Society and participants to reduce the likelihood of injury, bruising and similar minor injuries do occur, and there is the risk of more serious injury for all participants.
Fighters are responsible for obtaining their own armor and weapons. Some people make most of their armor, using metal, leather, or plastic, but most buy pieces, either new or used. Before making any armor, check with your local marshal about the safety standards and requirements, or contact the Kingdom Earl Marshal.
Q: What does one do in the SCA if they don't/can't fight?
There are many other things to do in the SCA aside from fighting. Perhaps you
have a skill in the modern world or an interest that can be
"translated" into the medieval world. Just about anything you
can think of doing now has some sort of medieval equivalent.
Some of the many things studied in the SCA are:
| Bardic Recitation Dancing Drama & Comedy Gaming Instrumental Music Juggling Languages Masquing & Mime Musical Composition Musical Instrument Making Poetry Riddles Vocal Music |
Costuming & Accessories Dyeing Embroidery Jewelry Lace making Lapidary Leather Working Needlework Spinning Tanning Weaving |
Glass Blowing Horn Working Husbandry Masonry Mathematics Merchanting Pavilion Making Philosophy Pottery Rug Making Toy Making Woodworking |
| Archery Armoring Falconry Fighting Horsemanship Metal Working Period Fencing Tool Making Weapon Smithing |
Agriculture Brewing Candle Making Cooking Herbalism Horticulture Medicine Vinting |
Book Binding Calligraphy Drawing Heraldry Illumination Newsletters & Publications Painting Paper Making Scribing Sculpture |
Q: What kind of person gets involved in the SCA?
SCA folk tend to be people like you and me -- just plain folks, but people who enjoy doing something more with their weekends. It seems that a high percentage of SCA members are involved in high tech fields -- Computers, Aerospace, high energy physics, etc. Perhaps the attraction the SCA holds for them can be attributed to the fact that people who spend all week with highly complex, modern technology find it relaxing to spend their leisure time working with a different kind of technology, in a less modern setting. There are lots of people in all fields in the SCA -- historians, writers, secretaries, law enforcement personnel, teachers, programmers, insurance agents -- the appeal of the SCA is widespread.
A housemate of a SCA person recently said: "From what I can tell about these wild and crazy SCA people, they do more than just this fighting thing. They really like to make and wear the medieval clothes (garb), eat the medieval food, dance the medieval dances to the medieval music, maybe even make their own medieval music, and other medieval party type activities. They also seem to like to be medieval so they can relax and have a good time. They are quite willing to talk about SCA or invite you to the SCA stuff or whatever."
Participation in the SCA is open to any person who shares the Society’s interest in medieval re-creation and re-enactment. Paid membership is only a requirement for Crown Tournament participants and for kingdom and Society officers. Sustaining, contributing or patron members receive their kingdom’s newsletter and the Society’s quarterly journal, Tournaments Illuminated. These publications provide important information about kingdom and Society-wide events, along with educational and how-to articles, as will as some material that is just for fun.
By formally joining the SCA, you provide valued financial support, are counted in the growing ranks of those supporting the Society’s aims and ideals, and may receive a discount at Society events. The SCA is one of the few organizations, however, where you can participate without paying dues, although those who are able are strongly encouraged to become paying members.
Q: Where are you located, or How can I find meetings or events near me?
The SCA has groups all over the world. The SCA divides the world geographically into Kingdoms, subdivided by Baronies, which contain Cantons. The Charlotte area (Charlesbury Crossing) is a Canton within the Barony of Sacred Stone (western NC), within the Kingdom of Atlantia (the east coast from MD to Augusta, GA).
For a modern equivalent:
Kingdom = country
Barony =
state
Canton =
city
Usually, Kingdoms will encompass many states and a Barony will encompass many counties. A Canton can be anything from a single city up to several counties.
To find your local group within the Kingdom of Atlantia, visit http://www.sinister.net/SCAZips.htm
For a complete list of Kingdoms in the SCA, go to http://www.sca.org/geography/welcome.html
Q: Who is who and how to address them?
Medieval society was highly structured with a system of ranks: kings, dukes, barons and lords. The SCA has a similar system of hierarchy. It is often difficult for a newcomer to tell if the person with whom he is conversing is "Somebody Important." If you are in doubt, be courteous and polite, and address the person as "my lord" or "my lady." These terms are widely used and acceptable to persons of all ranks.
People who wear crowns or coronets are "Somebody Important." In many cases they are, or were, royalty. They won the rights to wear a fancy circlet on their heads. It can be difficult to tell someone's rank, for a person of a lesser rank might choose to wear a fancier circlet than someone of higher rank; it partly depends on personal taste. If you are in doubt of the rank, address the person as "Your Excellency." For all ranks, the design of the crown or coronet can vary greatly from kingdom to kingdom.
King and Queen: Chosen by tournament combat. As the rules of the entire Kingdom, they can make or change laws except where the new law would conflict with the Society's rules (the Corpora) or the laws of the governments responsible for the area. They are generally addressed as "Your Majesty." Remember that it is courteous to bow or curtsy when speaking to them or passing by them.
The term "lord" or "lady" may refer to anyone in the Society if you do not know their rank, but the title "Lord" or "Lady" is reserved for those who have received an Award of Arms (AoA) from the crown. This is often the first award granted to a person. It recognizes service to the kingdom or a local group and entitles the person to be called "Lord" or "Lady" (name) and to bear Arms.
Q: How do you tell "pointy
hats" apart?
Baron /
Baroness - six points, each topped by a pearl
Count / Countess - embattled (crenellated
like the top of a castle wall)
Duke / Duchess - strawberry
leaves
King / Queen - Varies, but they
will not have any of the above attributes
Prince / Princess - Varies, but
again, will not have any of the above attributes
Q: What is an "Award of Arms" and other awards?
An Award of Arms is recognition by the Crown and the raising of one to the ranks of nobility. There is no polling for this order, it is given solely at the discretion of the crown. An AoA is awarded for service.
Descriptions of other Atlantian (the Kingdom comprised of MD, DC, VA, NC, SC, and Augusta, GA) orders and awards can be found at http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/jessa/atlantia.html
There are two sorts of peers in the SCA; Royal Peers and Awarded Peers. Royal Peers are folk who have served as King or Queen at least once. Those who have been King or Queen once are Counts/Countesses. Those who have been King or Queen twice (or more) are Dukes/Duchesses.
Other sorts of Peers are folk who, by dint of talent, hard work, and long effort, have earned recognition for their contributions and skills. There are three awarded peerage orders, all of which have the same basic requirements: new companions must be honorable and courteous, familiar with the basic gentle arts of a medieval court, and should have proven their dedication to the Society and its ideals. These orders rank equally. Peers are created by the desire of the King and Queen in accordance with the recommendations of the companions of the order.
The oldest of the peerage orders is the Chivalry. The chivalry, who include the Knights, are fighters who have achieved great skill at arms, and who are considered by the other members of the Chivalry to be models of prowess, chivalry, and honor. The knight is considered by many to be the central figure in our medieval mythos. Knights swear fealty to the Crown and are entitled to wear a white belt. They wear a chain as a symbol of their fealty. Spurs are also limited to the Chivalry as one of their signs of rank. Call them "Sir" (name).
Second oldest is Order of the Laurel, which is awards to craftsmen and artists recognized for their research in medieval crafts, their willingness to teach their skills, and their skill at their arts. They are addressed as "Master" or "Mistress" (name). Their insignia is a laurel wreath, usually colored green on a gold background. The laurel wreath was anciently used to crown victors at Greek games, great poets, etc., and has always been a mark of achievement and skill.
Finally, there is the Order of the Pelican, given to those whose work in service to the SCA has made a great difference. The Pelican was thought in medieval times to be the most self-sacrificing animal. Their insignia is a "pelican in her piety," a pelican piercing her breast to feed her young with her own blood. Address them as "Master" or "Mistress" (name).