095.(LV3-4)First Battle POV

Publish Date: April 25, 2007
by AJ Hoge
A howl from the opposing army..... swords thudded against shields... thunder
beat in unison. Hearts pounded. I gripped my sword... and braced the shield
against my shoulder. Giddy tendrils raced through my gut and chest....... a wild
grin broke upon my face. I began to bounce.... knees spring-like.....standing on
toes. A racehorse in the gate.
A wild shout went up to my left..... I turned to see a wiry warrior clad in
sparkling scale and a green cape..... carrying a coffin shaped shield. He strode
the front of our lines, turned to our enemies and threw insults against them,
“Cowardly vermin of Trimaris, prepare to die”... he shook his sword and our
army let out a cackling howl. Goose bumps spread across arms and belly..... I
thudded the butt of my (rattan) sword on the inside of the shield.... our lines
advanced.
The enemy continued drumming their shields, and likewise strode forward. Full
of adrenaline, eyes wide with awe, muscles tense as steel....... I approached my
first battle... almost forgetting that none of this was “real”. No one would die.
No one would kill.
This was my introduction to the SCA, or the “Society for Creative
Anachronism”. The SCA is a collection of oddballs who dress in medieval
clothing, strap on armor, and beat each other with wooden swords. They also
dance, sing, and create works of art. The group is a collection of outlandish
creatives, hyper-intelligent geeks, talented artists, hammish performers, history
buffs, academics, poets, social misfits, and folks who simply refuse to succumb
to the drudgery of being “normal”. I was a member for nearly ten years.... and
loved every minute.
The heart of the SCA is the weekend “event”..... an affair that revolves around
a number of semi-historic activities, usually held at a state park. Typically, a
battle or tournament is the centerpiece of the “event”. My first battle was
small by today’s standards..... each army had only 100 people. The group now
hosts battles which involve thousands of participants... the largest is held annu-
ally in Pennsylvania, in August, and is known as the “Pennsics War”. As the
Pennsics example implies, SCA groups and events are spread throughout the
United States. In fact, the group is growing internationally, especially in
Europe. There are also groups in Japan and Korea.
The SCA divides the US, and the world, into a patchwork of regional organiza-
tions, called “kingdoms”. Georgia, for example, is part of the “Kingdom of
Meridies”, which also includes Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. North and
South Carolina are the “Kingdom of Atlantia”. California is in the “West
Kingdom”. Each Kingdom is further divided into local groups, called Baronies
or Shires.
The function of local groups is to host events, welcome newcomers, and teach
medieval skills. Skills include arts such as calligraphy, jewelry making, wood-
working, and costuming; craft arts such as armoring & blacksmithing; perform-
ing arts such as medieval dancing and singing; and martial arts such as hand-to-
hand fighting and archery. Most groups host a weekly business meeting and
various “guild meetings” to practice these arts.
Since I joined, the organization has expanded tremendously and is now a full-
fledged counter society: with its own government (a monarchy- with rulers
chosen by combat), its own economy (some members make a full-time living
selling their arts), and its own social system (a system of titles, clans, knights,
and nobles). Every member of the SCA develops an alternate persona: a
medieval character they become during events.
The combined effects are stunning. At times, I felt I’d been transported back in
time. My first SCA battle produced all the nerves, all the excitement, all the
intensity of entering a “real” battle: pounding heart and manic energy and fear
of being “killed”.
For some, the SCA is an exercise in living history. Many members are meticu-
lous researchers- accomplished experts in a chosen discipline of history. Others
join the group for its unique social characteristics-- its embracement of eccen-
tricity.... its community and camaraderie. But for me, the SCA was an act of
jubuliant defiance: an enthusiastic refusal to surrender to tedium.
I did not, and do not, want to abandon the creative flow of childhood. I am
convinced that play.... fantasy and creativity for its own sake... is a deep and
profound human need; one we, as adults, must nurture and maintain. Play is
not an escape.... it is a celebration. Play is the essence of creativity.
We, as adults-- for the sake of our happiness and our souls, should re-discover it.