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A light breeze flutters the silk banners strewn around the list field, and gathered all around are spectators. Ladies, fanning themselves in the heat, dressed in fine and fancy dresses that echo the high Italian Renaissance to the early Viking age, mingle with men in a variety of garb - from armor to surcotes declaring their allegiance to those on the field. Silence falls as the final two combatants step to the center, a nod and they’re off. Not a sound can be heard but for the ring of steel on steel, the clash and peal falling like lightning, fast and furious. And then, in a moment, one knight is down, the other raining blows. The yield is called, and the victor helps his opponent to his feet. The crowd, still silent, waits with baited breath. The victor steps forward, kneels, and then as the crown is placed upon his head cheers break the silence. The kingdom once again has an heir, won by the right of fierce and honorable combat. Welcome, lords and ladies, to the current Middle Ages!  The Society for Creative Anachronisim (also known as the SCA) is a worldwide organization that celebrates the best parts of pre-17th century Europe. We not only have artists, brewers, weavers, lacemakers, spinners, cooks, potters, and other artisans, but also fighters of all walks, from mounted jousters to archers, to heavy fighters, to rapier combat, to full-on army vs army battles. Combat: This is the biggest draw of the SCA for a lot of people, but to be honest it's not my thing. I can't tell you a whole lot about it, but I am sure there are some SCA goons here that will help me make this section better.  In the SCA we have several types of combat, including: Heavy Fighting - which is what you traditionally think of, sword and shield but also includes polearms etc. All armor is real, all of the fighting is real. Swords are made from rattan, and swings are not pulled. We have very strict armor standards because of this. Rapier / Fencing - Arguably easier to get into than heavy, but still requires skill and being quick on your feet. Archery and Thrown Weapons: Something that everyone can do and is very fun! Thrown Weapons is exactly what it sounds like - daggers, axes, and other such compliments thrown at wooden targets and scored for accuracy. Archery is always with traditional bows and wooden arrows, and we often have speed and prize shoots too. We also have combat archery, but it requires armor and some special equipment for safety, and you can really only find that at specific special events. Equestrian: Jousting, squire games, agility and so on. Very fun! Arts and Sciences There aren't enough words to say all the cool stuff that we do in the SCA. If it was practiced by peoples in the 17th century or before, we do it. This isn't your granny's boring cross-stitching. Below are just a few of the disciplines that are done in the SCA: Agriculture / Animals and Animal Husbandry Antler, Horn, and Bone Carving Armor and Weaponry Crafting Beads and Beadwork Brewing and Vinting Camping + Recreating Period Encampments Cooking and Food (Oh my god the food!) Costume and Clothing Culture, History, and Religion Research + Study Embroidery + Needlework Games, Pastimes and Toys Glassworking Heraldry and Armorial Displays Leatherworking - Carving and Tooling, Dyeing, Making Armor, Drinking Vessels, Saddles, Scabbards, Shoes, Taning Literature + Performance Metalwork - Blacksmithing, Casting, Coin Striking, Jewelry Making, Repousse Textiles and Textile Arts - Dyeing, Knitting, Netting, Lacemaking, Weaving, Nalbinding Woodworking - Basketry, Furniture construction, siege engine, pyrography So you can see... there are quite a lot of things to do in the SCA. Maybe it's easier to talk about what we are not. There are a lot of notions about the SCA, some formed from people that have had a bad experience with a group that perhaps takes itself a little too seriously. The SCA is not a LARP organization, though some people do enjoy bringing their "personas" to life by speaking in a certain way or the like. I have met very few people that go to these lengths, and for the most part this sort of display is only really put out in this way during a demo - when we're doing an education event with the public and aiming to show life as it once was. To that end, I haven't spoken about personas yet. Usually when people join the SCA, they have a specific time period/location they're interested in - I love all things viking, and so I settled on late-period (11th century) viking. My name in the Society is Æsa gylðir (pronounced "AY-sa gool-THERE"). I have been awarded my arms, and therefore my title is simply "Lady", but I prefer to not use it. My armory is as follows: Counter-ermine, a wolf rampant reguardant and in sinister chief a crescent, a bordure argent. I have served my local barony -the Barony of Hawkwood, Kingdom of Atlantia - as archery champion, and now I am serving as our barony's deputy herald and focusing on my own learning and teaching some when I have time. My biggest goal is to do what I can to make sure other people are also having a good time, because that makes me have a good time too. At the core, we are a bunch of history nerds that really enjoy hanging out with other history nerds, making some cool stuff, watching some guys beat the piss out of each other, and drink awesome homemade booze and generally having a good time. As with most groups, there will be some that sour it, but personally I've found the SCA to be one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my life. There are a lot of threads on SA that visit the fun things we do. Here are a few that are fun, and have great information and people to encourage you and your awesome projects! Embroidery: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3643153 Weaving: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3699032 Blacksmithing & Metalworking: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2905844 Ask me about Roman/Greek/other ancient history: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3486446 Ask me about Medieval History & Combat: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3529788 So...... do you have any questions? Are you a SCAdian? Step up and lets hear about your experiences! That Damn Satyr fucked around with this message at 03:35 on Aug 16, 2015 |
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Aug 15, 2015 02:25
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Fellow SCAdian for the past 11 years. I got involved because, cool sword fighting. Then got dragged in by the overwhelming and deep world of not only martial activities, but the research and passion and dedication people have to their kingdom and fellow SCAdians. It's my chosen family. I'm Lady Heather Hrafnsdottir. My arms are Argent, a columbine slipped and leaved and on a chief invected purpure two mullets Or. And I ride horses in the Atlantian Cavalry. We do joust of course. But there is also horseback archery and various games of skill on horseback. I am also an artisan. Though I can't seem to focus on one craft. I am very accomplished in early period needlework. As well as dabbling in the scribal arts. As well as research into rectangular clothing construction and fiber arts. I can't quite describe what the SCA means to me. I came across it during a very dark part of my life and it gave me friends and family and focus. As well as a sense of self worth and pride in my own skills.
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Aug 15, 2015 02:40
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SCAdian since before I was born. My parents didn't go for a few years and started going again when I was about 9. I've never been normal people camping! Setting up the pavilion and bringing Dad's armor is how everyone camps, right? I haven't been to an event since about 2005, unfortunately. I have a really good background waiting for me should I decide to start fighting as my father was in the Dead Knights, the Killer Elite, and holds the Order of the Dragon's Tooth. He and my mother were big people involved in the creation of the barony of Starleaf Gate. I know who the Clancy of Clancy Day was! I've toyed with the idea of fighting but I'm not the strongest person ever. Currently living in Ealdormere in Ben Dunfirth.
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Aug 15, 2015 03:49
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Does anyone here attend the Pennsic War? I drive past it every day that it goes on but I have no idea where to start to get into something like that.
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Aug 15, 2015 05:56
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JohnGalt posted:Does anyone here attend the Pennsic War? I drive past it every day that it goes on but I have no idea where to start to get into something like that. Pennsic is the ultimate event, and most people dream of going but its very expensive (and long). Getting started in the SCA is super easy though, and there are local chapters literally worldwide! http://www.sca.org/geography/ Go here, and on the left put in your state / city / area. You should be given a Kingdom ( if you live where Pennsic is, it's Æthelmearc, and you should be able to find your local group. From there, check their page for contact info for their Chatelaine - if its not listed, maybe have a go contacting their webmaster and they'll get you in the right direction. Alternatively, once you know the groups name, check Facebook. Almost all SCA groups now have some sort of FB presence, and that would get your name out there for the right people to contact you with more info on coming to upcoming events.
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Aug 15, 2015 06:08
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That drat Satyr posted:Pennsic is the ultimate event, and most people dream of going but its very expensive (and long). Getting started in the SCA is super easy though, and there are local chapters literally worldwide! I live right near it and I have something like 5 weeks vacation a year so I thought I might give it a shot. Are SCA groups something you can be a part of in a casual way or is it something you have to dedicate yourself to. I have no reference point for something like this so I apologize for the stupid questions.
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Aug 15, 2015 06:27
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Goobers For Guts posted:I am also an artisan. Though I can't seem to focus on one craft. I am very accomplished in early period needlework. As well as dabbling in the scribal arts. As well as research into rectangular clothing construction and fiber arts. Post some pics of your work?
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Aug 15, 2015 06:38
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JohnGalt posted:I live right near it and I have something like 5 weeks vacation a year so I thought I might give it a shot. Are SCA groups something you can be a part of in a casual way or is it something you have to dedicate yourself to. I have no reference point for something like this so I apologize for the stupid questions. No question is a stupid question! Usually groups will have big 'events' that are hosted by the baronies/groups within that kingdom each weekend - these are 'official', you-have-to-wear-silly-clothes type things. At these events you'll see all the craziness that happens. Pennsic is one of these events. But aside that, there are also smaller more social events for each local group. These are casual and held at peoples houses or parks, or out and about meet-ups. For example, our local group has art/crafts days, newcomers days, dance practice days, sewing days, fighter practices, equestrian practices, dinner night out... And that's just a few of the things we do. You can easily pick and choose what you participate in - for example, our fighters don't really have a reason to come to embroidery day.... So go, check it out. Find what you like. There's no obligation to participate beyond what you're comfortable with, and within the disciplines that interest you. 
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Aug 15, 2015 09:52
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Hummingbirds posted:Post some pics of your work? I don't have very much really. I give so much away! I do have some needlework that I made with my own heraldry. Mostly I embroider garb for others. Split stitch and klosterstitch.  Favor I made for a gal who wants to fight for me.  Klosterstitch pouch I made for an A&S competition. It's one I am most proud of.  Neck detail on a viking tunic. I need to dig up scribal and see what I have that is worth posting. *Edited for clickable thumbnails Goobers For Guts fucked around with this message at 17:18 on Aug 15, 2015 |
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Aug 15, 2015 17:06
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For the food, do you simply use no ingredient originating after the 17th century, or do you make them the hardcore way (before the official European discovery of the American continents)?
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Aug 15, 2015 17:30
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Depends on how deep you want to go into your research and craft. I cook more period-esque feasts. Foods pre 17th century. No potatoes, peppers, tomatoes etc. Mostly roasted meats and breads. Some cooks research full on recipes and methods of their chosen region. And go out of their way to find spices and ingredients that meet those criteria. I have met many cooks who insist on cooking open pit or in a brick oven. Though that is a bit hard to do for a large feast of 70+ people. But I have seen it done.
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Aug 15, 2015 17:57
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Since Goobers has posted her work, I'll show some of mine. She's the one that taught me to embroider and is so much better than me. I've only been at it for a bit over a year now, but I admit that it's become a bit of a obsession for me. I love doing blackwork the most, which is a particular form of embroidery that involves weaving a single thread into the fabric so the front and the back looks exactly the same. Except I'm not that good and my thread frays a lot.  Front and Back   I also made this cool bag, which Goobers gave me way more help and inspiration on than was really necessary.  I also do inkle and card/tablet weaving - this makes neat bands that you can make into all sorts of stuff, from trim for clothes to bags, to.. whatever.  The thing on my loom right now. I should probably finish this but it's a hell of a complicated pattern. ugh.  A camera strap I made for a beloved teacher. This pattern is simple, but a really old motif.  This is what the setup for card weaving looks like. Also pictured: my rather angry-at-the-time tension tester. I also just like making... things. I enjoy fiber arts, I am terrible at spinning but I try, and I also do something called nalbinding, which is a weird super old precursor to the knitting and crocheting that we have today. There have been fragments of naalbinding found in neolithic burials - it's seriously mega old and mega awesome. Most people these days associate it with the vikings, though. I could talk about that forever, but instead I will just show you pictures of some naalbiding needles I have carved, along with a bit of fabric made.  And lastly, what sort of ~viking~ would I be if I didn't have bead swag? I learned to make beads at an event about 8 months ago, and it's SO fun, but man I am so afraid of butterfingers dropping it and burning my lap off.  We also have a few threads around the forums that correspond to some of the SCA-ish diciplines! I guess I should also add these to the OP. Link more if you know of them, and I'll add them too! Embroidery: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3643153 Weaving: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3699032 Blacksmithing & Metalworking: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2905844 Ask me about Roman/Greek/other ancient history: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3486446 Ask me about Medieval History & Combat: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3529788 That Damn Satyr fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Aug 16, 2015 |
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Aug 16, 2015 03:32
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I wondered if a thread like this would pop up. What's up SCAdians, former Calontiri fighter here. Ask me about how much fun driving a scutum in a shield wall is. I'm kicking around getting back into it after a few years away but haven't managed to justify how much armor building will be necessary to make that happen.
Liquid Communism fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Aug 16, 2015 |
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Aug 16, 2015 04:29
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Sweet, an SCA thread! What's up? I'm in the East and I'm primarily a fencer, though I mess around with heraldry (the East has a weirdly strong tradition of fencers crossing over into heraldry), research, and occasionally dabble in random crafts despite being pretty terrible at all of those. Ask me about fencing in the SCA, and our attempts to push it in an ever more historically accurate direction, yay! And I should really get around to putting away the last of my stuff from Pennsic, so that the garage can be used for cars again.
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Aug 17, 2015 15:19
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I'd love to go to another event (went to a few when I was younger), but it looks like the nearest group is about a 2 hour drive from me. Is there anything online for people that can't find a local group?
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Aug 19, 2015 00:56
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Yay SCA thread! I'm in Oertha, have been in the SCA for about a year and a half, and haven't decided on a persona name yet, though I'm going for 9th century Viking. I craft like crazy. Spinning, tablet weaving, embroidery, sewing, metalwork, woodwork, leatherwork, bone carving and basically anything that catches my attention.  This is the last event I was at, and I made my everything. From the top down, there's a necklace of double viking wire weave, a handsewn linen shirt (seam treatment and tablet weaving on it are both done with handspun yarn), belt with hand carved bone buckle and keeper, (both riveted on with hand made rivets), a birka type pouch I really need to re-do, as the strap is too short and it keeps flopping open, a naalbind hat tucked into my belt on the other side, hand sewn wool trousers, hand spun hand woven leg wraps, naalbind socks and a pair of lastless turnshoes I made myself. closeups of some of the stuff I'm particularly proud of    Upcoming projects are finishing the caribou antler comb I've had half done for the last year, some largesse for my princess and baroness, armor so I can finally start fighting heavy and I will probably dive headfirst into period shoemaking, from carving lasts and then new turnshoes for me, a tudor period rand-welt pair for a friend and then wherever crazy takes me.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:51
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I do have a heavy fighting-related question, though. Where's a good place to get plain knee/elbow cops? Cheap is great, but not at the expense of "my joints remaining intact".
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Sep 24, 2015 04:42
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I used to mold mine from abs plastic.
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Sep 24, 2015 18:36
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How is the SCA different from LARPing? The "Ask me about LARPing destroying my life and my soul" thread goes into great detail about how the people involved in it are horrible dysfunctional losers. It's mostly focused on vampire larpers.
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Sep 26, 2015 08:58
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There is a monumental difference. LARP is essentially role playing. There is a storyline and players are acting out campaigns similar to tabletop gaming but in full live play. The fights are more scripted and full contact is not common. Usually padded weapons are used in the case of true full contact. There is also the fantasy aspect. Magic and Elves and Dwarves are a regular thing. The SCA is a collection of like minded people who have an affinity for pre 17th century European and Asian history. There is no script. You pretty much show up to an event, change into clothing fitting of your chosen time period (or others if you really are trying to find what you like most. ) And then spend the weekend doing activities that people of that period would do. Heavy fighters are in genuine combat and do not pull punches on hitting each other very hard with huge sticks of rattan. They wear heavy armor for a reason. There are many tournaments in martial activities such as archery, thrown weapons, rapier, and equestrian. There are also classes for the more craftsman mindset. You can spend virtually all day in classes, working on a project, and conversing with people very educated in their chosen activity. If that is what you want to do. Everything is meticulously researched and done with reasonable attempts at period sources. There is an actual established political system for each kingdom, and those hard working individuals keep the non profit engines going. Fantasy elements are lightly frowned upon. Some newcomers will show with fairy wings and elf ears. But are gently brought to realize that is not what we are about and introduced to what the SCA is truly trying to relive. (We try to keep it gentle. There are assholes, just as there are in any group.) The SCA is a legitimate not for profit educational society. We all take it very seriously and some live it year round. Some just play on weekends. Some just a few times a year. It's very open and organized and historically minded.
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Sep 26, 2015 17:16
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I'm not entirely sure how realistic this combat is supposed to be. I get whacked unarmored with rattan on a regular basis and it's really not an issue (we wear masks for obvious reasons). I've seen videos of people describing "techniques" that while informed by historical texts ignore some basic rules of realistic historical combat. For instance: whacking someone with a sword while they're wearing metal armor. Or, my personal favorite, hopping to get a strike in over someone's shield. I'm curious what makes the combat "real". I don't participate in SCA, but the people I know who either have or continue to do so hardly consider it realistic, at least in comparison to practice of historical martial arts.
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Sep 27, 2015 01:07
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The trick is to realize that SCA combat isn't really trying to replicate battlefield combat. It's trying to replicate tourney fighting, which involves a number of different behaviors to support those sort of rules, and in practice is a combat sport and has developed techniques suited to that. Much the same way there's a lot of BJJ you wouldn't pull out in a real fight but which scores well in tourneys.
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Sep 27, 2015 01:30
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Liquid Communism posted:The trick is to realize that SCA combat isn't really trying to replicate battlefield combat.    Not all tournaments were on horseback, of course, but I don't remember reading about rattan swords. Nowadays you could do this if you wanted: 
HEY GUNS fucked around with this message at 02:42 on Sep 27, 2015 |
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Sep 27, 2015 01:43
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Nah, fighting in a shield wall with a few hundred other people, with spears shooting over your shoulder and arrows zinging past your face is a pretty different thing from tournament fighting.
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Sep 27, 2015 07:00
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So, what is the best way to fit armor over your fursuit and do you only wear fursuits using period-appropriate materials when you SCA?
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Sep 27, 2015 08:01
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HEY GAL posted:Not all tournaments were on horseback, of course, but I don't remember reading about rattan swords.
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Sep 27, 2015 10:29
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Siivola posted:Of course, nowadays people are replicating toirnament melees with sword-like steel clubs. Thanks, Eastern Europe!
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Sep 27, 2015 12:00
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That drat Satyr posted:Pennsic is the ultimate event, and most people dream of going but its very expensive (and long). I went to one Pennsic with a boyfriend whose family were all SCAers. I had a really fun time, saw all kinds of crazy poo poo, and I still have my medallion. However, the politics were absolutely revolting. Lots of hierarchy even when it was just absurd. We'd say we were from British Columbia and for every, "oh wow, how are you liking Pennsic?" we got at least one, "oh, you're from an A kingdom." Apparently there's something about the kingdoms whose names start with A having reputations for playing too rough and having weird drama. We heard a lot of stories about "our" king, despite our increasingly fervent declarations that we weren't actually SCAers and really didn't know anyone in "our" kingdom. The way people treated royals was the wankiest thing I've ever seen. There was a cafe set up near our camp called Inner Vagabond, and it was a popular place because it was shady and they had iced drinks even when it was 42 degrees celsius. (I got heat stroke on day 1 and spent the night shivering pathetically in the medic tent after a quick ride on a golfcart. Fun!) We were enjoying coffee and started chatting with a fellow sitting next to us. He was amiable, but the young man with him was practically rocking back and forth with the need to say something. He kept jittery quiet while we talked. At one point, mid-discussion of traffic along the interstate, he just lost it and blurted out, "ohbythewaythisistheKINGOFTHEWEST." Our companion just sighed. The place is even laid out to be a class system. Lots of snarky comments about the peons whose camps were in the "swamp," or who didn't have pavilion tents. Heaps of bitching about the group who LARP the world of Gor (yeah don't look that up) although they were the only ones who actually did something about the massively unbalanced numbers of combatants between the East and Middle. When they realized they were indisputably on the winning side, they all trotted on over to the side that was outnumbered at least 3 to 1. The battles were hilarious, I'll admit. No one could take it seriously. One kingdom fought a battle as "peasants," with nothing but sticks, and lead the charge. I didn't watch the castle fight, but I was around when the Eldormere king came back, miffed that he'd been tagged by an arrow in the first few minutes, despite being surrounded by his best men. Lots of "archery is bullshit," and "loving A kingdoms always do archery." If I were able to just pull Arts and Sciences out of the rest of the SCA, I'd happily do that, but I'm just not willing to be socially pressured into bowing to a cable installer who was pretty good at hitting things with a stick and had enough money to keep himself in chainmail. Pixelante fucked around with this message at 12:40 on Sep 27, 2015 |
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Sep 27, 2015 12:37
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Pixelante posted:I went to one Pennsic with a boyfriend whose family were all SCAers. I had a really fun time, saw all kinds of crazy poo poo, and I still have my medallion. For all the SCAers I know saying it isn't LARP, it sure does sound almost exactly like the LARP scene in Role Models.
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Sep 27, 2015 13:03
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HEY GAL posted:But tournaments looked like this. We actually do all this stuff. We are working on a full contact wood joust in our kingdom but others do it regularly. We also do mounted combat and misc. games on horseback like javelin throwing and archery. Cavalry activities in the SCA can be stupid dangerous and we actually have a separate insurance structure to even bring horses onto an event site. (Proud owner of two fantastic war horses.)
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Sep 28, 2015 03:11
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This is a good example of the kind of horse barding you'll see at most SCA events: The thing is: yes, fighters and archers and equestrians /can/ wear all this fancy stuff, and yes there is a /minimal/ requirement to do the activities... and while it's great to look like you're a super rich noble from the 1400's, these days putting together that kind of kit can get very expensive very, very quickly. Each person plays and dresses to their level of ability, and people are pretty much always adding to their kits. I mean, it took me nearly 4 months to save up enough money to buy my viking broaches because I'm poor as poo poo, so I get it.
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Sep 28, 2015 06:14
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Pixelante posted:I went to one Pennsic with a boyfriend whose family were all SCAers. I had a really fun time, saw all kinds of crazy poo poo, and I still have my medallion. I know literally nothing about the SCA but this actually sounds like it's really true to a vision of reenacting pre-17th century European and Asian political structures.
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Sep 28, 2015 14:48
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Verisimilidude posted:For all the SCAers I know saying it isn't LARP, it sure does sound almost exactly like the LARP scene in Role Models. As a LARPer I can say that this is pretty much exactly what LARP is, except in LARP the king would have opened up his conversation with you by asking the immortal words: "Don't you know who I am?"
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Sep 28, 2015 15:29
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That drat Satyr posted:This is a good example of the kind of horse barding you'll see at most SCA events: *squees silently* That is my husband on the right. I've never understood the 'A' kingdom hate. I'm in Atlantia and yes, I'll admit we hit pretty loving hard here. I mean, one friend has had his arm broken twice in the last year with practice blows. I don't think Atlantian Thugs pull punches. But each kingdom has it's own 'thing'. The political structure can be a nightmare. I'll admit. It's not a democracy. And sometimes it's quite plain depending on who is on the thrones. I think many of the 'old guard' have forgotten what it was like when the SCA was young and it was a pack of poor college students playing in the park and sitting on blankets who really loved medieval history. There is too much class division. And too many folks forgetting we are going out there on the field to have fun. Too many people who get on a power trip.
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Sep 29, 2015 11:21
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That drat Satyr posted:The thing is: yes, fighters and archers and equestrians /can/ wear all this fancy stuff, and yes there is a /minimal/ requirement to do the activities... and while it's great to look like you're a super rich noble from the 1400's, these days putting together that kind of kit can get very expensive very, very quickly. Each person plays and dresses to their level of ability, and people are pretty much always adding to their kits. I mean, it took me nearly 4 months to save up enough money to buy my viking broaches because I'm poor as poo poo, so I get it.
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Sep 29, 2015 12:53
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Goobers For Guts posted:*squees silently* That is my husband on the right. Seriously, if someone is hitting someone so hard (with rattan of all things) that they're breaking limbs they're hitting WAY too hard. Historical combat didn't even involve swinging for the fences, unless you're role playing as some kind of buffel. If someone swung that hard at a HEMA tournament they would be ejected immediately, and that's with steel feders. Not simply because of safety issues, but because it's not how you actually fight. Say what you want about "tournament fighting" but those guys were wearing full harness and were actually well-trained.
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Sep 29, 2015 13:43
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While I judge the poo poo out of training injuries like that, tournament fighters "swinging for the lists" does have historical precedent. This blog post by HEMA dude Alex Bourdas talks about Battle of the Nations, but the examples apply here as well.
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Sep 29, 2015 14:15
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Pixelante posted:I went to one Pennsic with a boyfriend whose family were all SCAers. I had a really fun time, saw all kinds of crazy poo poo, and I still have my medallion. this describes the SCA perfectly. anyone who uses it for anything but fighting should be put to death
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Sep 29, 2015 16:56
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Siivola posted:While I judge the poo poo out of training injuries like that, tournament fighters "swinging for the lists" does have historical precedent. This blog post by HEMA dude Alex Bourdas talks about Battle of the Nations, but the examples apply here as well. So in the context of these not-realistic fighting games, sure. I'll concede that. But is that the goal in traditional tournament fighting? At least, the type most SCAers prescribe to? If not it's pretty dumb imo. Verisimilidude fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Sep 29, 2015 |
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Sep 29, 2015 16:58
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HEY GAL posted:Not talking about expensive stuff, although people can do that if they want to, I'm talking about how you can say you base what you do on rigorous research or you can have rattan swords/modern embroidery/drinking horns tied to your belts but in my opinion, probably not both. I know trolling this thread is your thing, but I don't think you get what the SCA is trying to do. Authenticity is good, but being 100% authentic in every facet of what they do is both nigh impossible and makes participation inaccessible to those without degree-level work in medieval history and a serious budget. Not to mention all the difficulties of then trying to place that recreation into a context that includes people working on cultures from all over the globe (albeit mostly Europe) across about a thousand years of time. What you seem to be cheerleading for would probably be more realistic... for the six or seven people who'd be interested in doing it, and have the money to make it work.
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Sep 29, 2015 20:27
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