SCA Life

And the winner of the riddle contest is…Cloudy!

Riddle
My house is not quiet, I am not loud;
But for us God fashioned our fate together.
I am the swifter, at times the stronger,
My house more enduring, longer to last.
A times I rest; my dwelling still runs;
Within it I lodge as long as I live.
Should we two be severed, my death is sure.

Answer: A fish in a river

Cloudy, you got the correct answer word for word. Good job. Now pick one of the filk/songs below to be posted on Saturday.

Song List
The Baron of Rivenoak
Conor and Isa
The Short Prince of Cynagua
Drunken Fighter
The Rose
Yeager for Temptation
Oh, Cynagua
True Treasure
A Woman’s Pain
Gywn the Bribing Baron
Chivalry is the Key
Ruler of the Kingdom
Fettburg has an Arab Baron
Fettburg Championship (serious)
Fettburg Championship (comic)
Bye, Bye Cybi (and Vicky)
Into the Fray
Ursus and Cybi
Thorfin and Catherine
An Isle Somewhere
Kiss the Queen
It’s a Fine (SCA) Life
Silent Knight
Recycling in the SCA
Old Brigandine
Beowulf (all 44 verses co-written with Eideann)

Rivenoak, Cynagua, Yeager, Baron, Chivalry, Kingdom, Fettburg, Championship, Knight, Recycling, Brigandine, Beowulf

I give you a medieval riddle. You have until Friday at midnight PST to give me the answer. The first person with the correct answer gets to choose which of my SCA filk songs will be posted on Saturday. Finally, anyone who has a medieval riddle they’d like me to use in the future, or a song they’d like to share, please contact me.

Taken from The Book of Exeter
Translated by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Riddle
My house is not quiet, I am not loud;
But for us God fashioned our fate together.
I am the swifter, at times the stronger,
My house more enduring, longer to last.
A times I rest; my dwelling still runs;
Within it I lodge as long as I live.
Should we two be severed, my death is sure.

What am I?

Society for Creative Anachronism, SCA, medieval, middle ages, riddle, riddles, filk, song, contest, Kevin Crossley-Holland, The Book of Exeter, Exeter, chivalry, knights, knight, castle

Joining the Society for Creative Anachronism is easy. All you need is an internet connection and a credit or atm check card.

Step 1 – Get online and go to www.sca.org.

Step 2 – Click on the black link that says On-line Membership. (It’s underneath the blue Membership heading on the right side of the page)

Step 3 – Once the new page has loaded, click on the black, italicized link that says “join the SCA” (Again the link is on the right side of the page.)

Step 4 – Fill in the your personal information. At the bottom of this page, there is a box that asks you to fill in your SCA name. Unless you are a returning member, or unless you already have an authentic name picked out, skip this step. It really doesn’t make a difference as the corporation contacts you only under your legal name. (An explanation of SCA names and how to choose one will be given in next week’s News for Newbies.

Step 5 – Choose the type of membership that is right for you.

You have a few choices to make here, so I will detail the benefits of each option.

$20.00/year Associate Membership: Being an associate member of the SCA entitles you to attend events and hold office in the SCA, however you receive none of the society publications, including the very crucial event listings. This is a good membership for someone who has a roommate who’s already in the SCA and who already receives the society publications. College roommates are the perfect example of where this membership works best.

$35.00/year Sustaining Membership: A sustaining membership gives you all the privileges of a an associate membership and also entitles you to a copy of your kingdom’s newsletter. As an example, I am located in the Kingdom of the West, so I get a copy of The Page by 3rd class mail every month. Basically, the kingdom newsletter is your event planner. It includes descriptions, dates and locations (often with directions from major highways) for all of the SCA events in your area. It is vital that you have this. The kingdom newsletters also provide information on how to contact your local society group. My local group is the Barony of Fettburg. It meets once a month in Manteca, California. Knowing where your local group meets is important because it allows you to network, make friends, become involved before your first event and just have fun. If you are located outside the United States, there may be additional costs to receive your newsletters.

$25.00/year Family Membership: This is can only be purchased in conjunction with a sustaining membership. For a measly $10 bucks per person ($25 maximum), you get to add one adult and as many minors as live in your household to your own sustaining membership. Basically, two parents and a bunch of kids get individual membership cards and one kingdom newsletter to share for $45 to $60, depending on how many kids you have. Even if you are married and don’t have kids yet, this is still the best way to go. However, once your kids are grown they have to buy their own sustaining or associate memberships. Family membership must be purchased AT THE SAME TIME as sustaining membership.

*Postage Upgrade – You can get a first class postage upgrade for your kingdom newsletter for an extra $10.00, but I don’t recommend it. In my experience, the first class doesn’t save you any time on newsletters such as these.

Step 6 – Decide which, if any quarterly publications you want to get from the SCA. Here are my recommendations.

Board Proceedings – $15.00/year: Get this only if you are hoping or planning to hold high office in the SCA, as there is usually nothing in it of concern to the average society member.

Compleat Anachronist – $15..00/year 1st class, $10/year 3rd class: I highly suggest that anyone new to the SCA get this publication. Each edition features a new topic that has been heavily researched. Examples include blackwork, leather armor and names. While it’s true that most society members enjoy doing at least some of their own research, this publication will save you a lot of heartache because it is written by SCA members and for SCA members. Basically, Compleat Anachronist puts exactly what you need at your fingertips.

Tournaments Illuminated – $15/year: This magazine is sort of like the SCA’s equivalent of Time or People. It’s basically fun, and you never know quite what will be in it. If you can afford the extra, it’s worth getting, but it’s not crucial. Oh, and it has sometimes been in color and sometimes not.

Step 7 – Pick your renewal period. You don’t get any kind of discount for paying multiple years at once, so it’s really just up to you. You can pick to pay for one, two or three years at a time.

Step 8 – Double check all of your personal information and then pay.

Step 9 – Wait for that first publication and bug your mail carrier until you get it. Oh, and welcome to the wacky world of the SCA!

SCA, anachronism, anachronist, Compleat Anachronist, Tournaments Illuminated, The Page, renaissance, medieval. middle ages, history, tournaments

After my disastrous first SCA meeting, I shied away from the Society for Creative Anachronism and most of what it represented. But I simply couldn’t dodge my love of the middles ages and renaissance era. So Diana, my sorority big sister and I played around with the idea of joining the Scottish guild at the Novato renaissance fair. We attended several meetings and even started on our garb.

As an aside, garb should never, NEVER, be referred to as a costume. That borders on heresy in just about any historical reenactment group. You’ll learn more about this in an upcoming installment of News for Newbies: “Garb that Grabs You.”

Now, back to the story. *ahem* We attended several meetings of the Scottish guild and even started on our garb. And, no, women did NOT wear kilts. In a twist of fate that no longer surprises me, we gradually came to realize that several members of the guild were also members of the SCA. They used the same garb for both groups, showed photos of events that they’d attended, talked about the SCA constantly, and generally began to make the society seem a little less strange.

Then, catastrophe struck. The University of California raised its registration fees. Both Diana and I were putting ourselves through school, and neither us could easily afford the new reg fee hike.

As a result, many expenditures had to be cut, and the first one to go was the Scottish guild and working the ren fair. Then, at the end of my sophomore year, Diana changed her major and transferred to a university in Southern California, and I found that I’d lost the only one of my friends who shared my interest in the middle ages and living history. It would be a year and a half before I met another person who loved history as much as I did – and she was already in the SCA.

BTW: If you just gotta have that bear, check out this website.

Heritage of Scotland.com

SCA, Society for Creative Anachronism, middles ages, renaissance, sorority, Scottish, Novato, garb, costume, historical reenactment, kilts, University of California, living history, teddy bear, history, toys

One of the nicest things about the modern internet is the ability to research truly obscure subjects at a moments notice.

To my surprise, my attempt to find information about medieval shoes produced not a small bit of midly useful information, but an entire manual about the subject.

Footwear of the Middles Ages

The site includes a glossary of shoe related terms, details on how shoes were made, explanations of the differences between right, left and straight shoes, and many very useful illustrations. The section on how to make medieval shoes for modern activties uses close-up color photos to explain each step. A truly great resource for any SCA newbie.

Shoes came in all varieties, and changed greatly based on the era and location. A viking and a celt would not have worn the same shoes even if they lives during the same time period. One nice thing about this site, is that it specifies which shoes were worn in which areas as well as eras.

Finally, the site has a comprehensive bibliography for your further study. So have fun, and get to work on that garb.

research, obscure, medieval, shoe, shoes, SCA, viking, celt, garb, Society for Creative Anachronism, renaissance, history, how-to, boot, boots

Doll Patterns for Medieval Clothing

Infinite Freedom

This website is way too much fun. They have doll patterns for a number of medieval dresses. They specifially cater to the “princess” look, including the Disney phenomenum, but their historical patterns are actually quite good. Any one of these could make an excellent gift for an aspiring seamstress, or the finished product would delight just about any little girl. Be sure to check them out.

doll, patterns, medieval, Disney, historical, seamstress, girl, SCA

Pennsic War
by Zeva the Weaver, aka: Catslyn
(tune: Jingle Bells)

Trudging through the grass, through trees and shrubs galore
If I don’t find some fights, I will miss the war
I have gotten lost, lost as I could be
I think this is the third time I’ve seen the same darn tree

Pennsic War, Pennsic War, Pennsic War’s no prize
Why would anyone want to fight at an event this size
Pennsic War, Pennsic War, Pennsic War’s no prize
Why would anyone want to fight at an event this size

Hundreds of fighters here, and I can’t find a one
For all that I know, East’s already won
But what is that I see, upon a hill ahead
It looks just like the Eastern Flag, and all the guards are dead

Pennsic War, Pennsic War, Pennsic War’s okay
If I catch the flag, oh I might just save the day
Pennsic War, Pennsic War, Pennsic War’s okay
If I catch the flag, oh I might just save the day

The Eastern soldiers groan, as I come in sight
They won’t try’n stop me, it would not be right
Soldiers from the middle cheer as I depart
With the Eastern flag in hand I’m feeling light of heart

Pennsic War, Pennsic War, Pennsic War’s the best
Who’d have thought that I would be crazy as the rest
Pennsic War, Pennsic War, Pennsic War’s the best
Who’d have thought that I would be crazy as the rest

*And remember, the Thursday post of “R is for Research” is down below this.

Barnes & Noble has a great suggestion for a cheap and yet interesting Father’s Day gift for the medieval minded.

Medieval Combat by Hans Talhoffer of the 15th century, and translated by Mark Rector, is all about sword fighting and close combat. It included more than 200 useful illustrations. Best yet, it costs less than $10.00 and would be a great addition to any history buff’s personal library.

It can be purchased from Barnes & Noble at the link below.

Medieval Combat

Barnes & Noble, Father’s Day, medieval, Hans Talhoffer, 15th century, Mark Rector, sword, combat, history, SCA, Society for Creative Anachronism, anachronist

Once upon a time, I was a bard in the SCA known as Zeva the Weaver. I specialized in filks, and my most popular songs were always the funny ones. And here’s the kicker — I still have many of those old songs.

So, every Wednesday, I’m willing to share one song. However, first you must vote on which song you want to see. Previously unposted songs, some comic, some not, will be listed and up for the vote. You may vote by leaving a comment stating the song of your choice.

I must receive a minimum of 5 votes (it doesn’t matter if they’re all for the same song) or no filk will be posted.

You have until Wednesday at midnight (PST) to leave your votes. The filk will be posted on Thursday morning, immediately followed by my standard Thursday post, “R is for Reasearch.” See you all at the polls.

Song List
The Baron of Rivenoak
Conor and Isa
The Short Prince of Cynagua
Drunken Fighter
The Rose
Yeager for Temptation
Oh, Cynagua
True Treasure
A Woman’s Pain
Gywn the Bribing Baron
Chivalry is the Key
Ruler of the Kingdom
Fettburg has an Arab Baron
Fettburg Championship (serious)
Fettburg Championship (comic)
Bye, Bye Cybi (and Vicky)
Into the Fray
Ursus and Cybi
Thorfin and Catherine
An Isle Somewhere
Kiss the Queen
Pennsic War
It’s a Fine (SCA) Life
Silent Knight
Recycling in the SCA
Old Brigandine
Beowulf (all 44 verses co-written with Eideann)

P.S. My cat, Mewler, is helping to write this post. He won’t take his paw off the keyboard.

bard, SCA, Weaver, filks, songs, comic, filk, Rivenoak, Cynagua, Yeager, Baron, Chivalry, Kingdom, Fettburg, Championship, Pennsic, Knight, Recycling, Brigandine, Beowulf

The Society for Creative Anachronism Coat of Arms

Hello and welcome to this week’s installment of News for Newbies. Today’s topic is about as basic as we can get – what is the SCA?

While the topic may be basic, the answer is a bit more complex.

The SCA is, in no particular order:

1) a corporation
2) a volunteer organization
3) a not-for-profit group
4) a historical society
5) a society devoted to research
6) a recreational club

First, and most importantly, the SCA is a recreational club whose members share a love of history. They express that love by getting together and re-creating the crafts, social occasions, and idealized codes of chivalry of the middle ages. Minus the fleas and dysentery, naturally. The SCA is not simply a different kind of renaissance fair, though many members of the society also enjoy attending the occasional ren fair. One of the most important differences between the SCA and the traditional renaissance fair is that there are no customers (more commonly known as mundanes) at SCA gathering. At a society event, everyone is in on the playacting.

The corporation, based out of California, is commonly known as SCA Inc. It exists for the sole purpose of handling all the legal aspects of the society. These include such trivial matters as the society’s not for-profit status and maintaining insurance for the events held by organization. The SCA is not-for-profit, because it was never intended to make money off of its members or events. While some members of the society pay yearly dues, such dues are not required to attend events. And the entrance fee for the events themselves exists solely to pay for such unessential matters as port-a-potties and rental of the sites themselves. The bureaucracy that keeps the events in gear is run almost entirely by volunteers. What’s more, members of the society often volunteer to share their specialized knowledge and skills with local schools, community clubs and anyone else who requests instruction or assistance in their understanding of the middle ages.

Finally, the SCA is home to many avid and skilled researchers, both with and without formal training in the field. After all, the point of the club is to bring the past into the future as authentically as possible, to willfully create anachronisms on a daily basis around the world.

And that is why the organization is called the Society for Creative Anachronism.

SCA, corporation, volunteer, historical, society, history, chivalry, middle ages, renaissance, mundanes, SCA Inc, events, past, Society for Creative Anachronism

My First Meeting

After my unexpected encounter with SCAdians on the UC Davis quad, I decided to check out a Society for Creative Anachronism meeting. I figured it was the only way I’d find out what the duct-tape obsessed stick jocks were really all about. So my big sister (sorority - not biological) and I scoped out the time and place of the next gathering, 7pm in a basement room of the student union. Much to out chagrin, this was not the ideal first meeting to attend.

It was dance practice.

The minute we arrived, we were both beset by long-haired, middle-aged men in tights who asked if we needed partners for the promenade. Now, looking back on all of this, I know these gentlemen couldn’t gave been more than 45 years old, and were just being considerate to the unexpected newbies. At the time, however, it completely freaked me out. I was a college freshmen, and so totally sheltered that this was just too much. I bolted.

It would be two years, and many renaissance fairs later before I worked up the courage to try attending another SCA meeting.

SCAdians, UC Davis, Society for Creative Anachronism, stick jocks, sorority, dance, tights, promenade, newbies, renaissance, SCA

The Society for Creative Anachronism, more commonly known as the SCA is a worldwide, long term, wackily wonderful group that your average mundane has never bloody heard of. My own first encounter with the SCA (pronounced ess-see-ay on the west cost and sk-au on the east coast) was, I fear, typical – aka: confusing. (more…)

Society for Creative Anachronism, SCA