FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SCA?

Well, here is the official definition: “The Society for Creative Anachronism is a non-profit educational organization devoted to the study of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It is part of the living history movement, which means that members try to reproduce various aspects of the culture and technology of their period, as well as doing more traditional historical research.” And then adding to that from the Known World Handbook (which is itself sort of a guide to being in the SCA): “The SCA is based on the landed nobility of the European Middle Ages and Renaissance. Their dress and music, their literature and sports, and above all the chivalric ideals of their period, all serve to unify our events and activities. Our regional and local organization sets aside the modern pattern of elected representatives to give us a sense of what it was like to live in the world of court and castle, so that our studies can go beyond literature and artifacts into the emotional reality of former times.” That is basically what we are all about. We learn about history by doing what people who lived through the Middle Ages and Renaissance did, and we try to have a lot of fun while doing it.

Considering that there's a lot more history out there than European history, why do you restrict yourself?

The truth is that we don't. We were originally based on the European Middle Ages and Renaissance, but since then have grown in scope to include most of the Far East, Central Asia, the Middle East, and even parts of Northern Africa.

I think the original European bias came about by accident. The SCA started out as a themed party (the theme being the Knights of the Round Table), and as the organization grew, the original tendency was to keep it faithful to the spirit of the originators.

One pretty good reason for the concentration on Europe is narrowing down a vast and varied period in history. The SCA concentrates on those centuries between the fall of Rome and the rise of the European Kingdoms (around 600 AD) to the end of the Elizabethan era (around 1600 AD), though we have been known to leak around the edges here and there. With this much time and space (we are talking all of Europe here, not just England or France), a person could grow old trying to research it all.

At this point I should probably point out that there are many people within the SCA who have created Asian or Middle Eastern personae for themselves. This is perfectly acceptable, as are personae from any other cultures that aren't North American, South American, or Australian in origin.

What are personae?

Most members of the SCA choose a culture and a time period to focus on. They then take on a name from that culture, and usually make appropriate clothing as well.

Remember that the period that the SCA recreates is so large that it’s simply easier to specialize in one time and place. Using a name from the culture and time period we are interested in helps us to differentiate our SCA activities from those of the modern world.

In addition to using a period name, some members will create an entire character for them to play, based on the life, beliefs, and customs of a person who might really have lived during period. This is usually done to learn more about a particular culture, and is known as "creating a persona".

So what do people in the SCA do?

You name it. Quite literally, if a person did a particular activity during the Middle Ages, you can probably find a person in the SCA who is doing it too. However, you can generally divide SCA activities up into two categories: the arts and sciences, and combat.

Into the first category, the arts and sciences, fall crafts like woodworking, embroidery and needlework, the bardic arts (singing, dance, juggling, acrobatics, storytelling, and other forms of live performance), knitting, sculpture, composing poetry and music, domestic sciences (such as candle- and soap-making), astronomy, metalworking, papermaking, calligraphy, glasswork, cooking, illumination, agriculture and animal husbandry, costuming, crocheting, stonecarving, drawing and painting, dyeing, lacemaking, fletching, brewing and vintning, leatherworking, ceramics and pottery, armoring, spinning and weaving, and alchemy.

These activities are open to anyone who wants to try them. Our members research arts and crafts from original, period documents and then share what we've learned with the other members. By keeping these skills alive, we increase everyone's knowledge of what the Medieval and Renaissance eras were really like, and have a lot of fun besides.

Combat is generally divided into three categories: heavy fighting, fencing, and archery. Of the three, heavy fighting is perhaps the most visible and obvious part of an SCA event, and it is the activity for which we have become known to people outside of the SCA. Participants wear replica armor and wield weapons made of rattan. Fencing (sometimes called "light weapons fighting") is done with many of the same weapons used in modern fencing. However, the rules on protective gear are different, and the participants are not restricted to a straight runway. Target archery is open to anyone, though combat archery generally has the same restrictions as heavy fighting.

The SCA has some strict rules governing combat. These were instituted to preserve everyone's safety and have contributed to a truly impressive safety record. In general, a would-be fighter or combat archer must attend practices and be authorized in their chosen weapon. Only authorized fighters can participate in tournaments.

What about jousting?

Many different equestrian activities are pursued in the SCA. Formerly, we were restricted to the non-combat arts, but we have recently started experimenting with jousting or combat on horseback. The training of the horse is even more important than the training of the fighter!

Your group is called the Barony of Oldenfeld... what's a Barony?

A barony is one type of local branch within the SCA. The SCA divides up the Known World (those areas of the globe in which SCA members live, which currently includes all of the United States, most of Canada and Australia, and large sections of Europe and Asia) into Kingdoms. Some Kingdoms, particularly the larger and more populated ones, are subdivided into Principalities or Regions.

These larger areas, whether Kingdom or Principality, are themselves subdivided into local chapters. An individual local chapter is called a Barony (for larger groups), a Shire (those groups not quite as large as a barony), or a College (for groups based at universities). A Barony might sometimes also be subdivided into Cantons (which are basically sub-chapters of the barony).

Where is Oldenfeld?

Oldenfeld is in the northern reaches of the Kindgom of Trimaris. This translates into the real world as Leon, Gadsden, and Wakulla Counties, in the state of Florida.

Do you really have Kings and Queens?

Yes, we do. We also have Princes, Princesses, Dukes, Duchesses, Counts, Countesses, Viscounts, Viscountesses, Barons, and Baronesses. In Trimaris and in every other Kingdom of the SCA, the King and Queen are chosen by way of a twice-yearly tournament called a "Crown Lyst".

I'd like to come to an event, but I'm not a member. What do I do?

You come to the event and have a good time! Events are always open to non-members. Always remember, though, that event attendees are expected to make an attempt to keep the standards of SCA dress and behavior.

What does standards of SCA dress mean?

That's actually two different subjects wrapped up in one question. Let me answer them one at a time. The standard for SCA dress is actually pretty simple. All persons attending an SCA event should make a "reasonable attempt" at medieval or at least medieval style clothing. By reasonable attempt, we usually mean "Don't wear modern clothing".

Now, there are exceptions made, of course. No one will ever object to a person wearing glasses or a wristwatch. And in some circumstances you can even get away with wearing sneakers (especially if you have a medical problem). But otherwise, we ask that a person coming to an event try to fit in.

Don't worry about not having clothing. Most groups have a collection of period clothing (otherwise known as "garb") that it can loan out for your use during the events. Always return any loaner garb when you are done with it.

What does standards of SCA behavior mean?

As for courtesy, there's a really good list of behavioral rules contained in the Known World Handbook, from which I am going to liberally paraphrase and excerpt. Follow these guidelines and you won't go wrong.

* Treat your inferiors in rank, knowledge, or experience as your equals. Treat your equals as if they were your superiors. This is a variation on the golden rule, which states “treat others as you yourself would like to be treated.” It’s basic courtesy.

* Use Medieval forms of address. This is a general concept rather than a specific one, since each culture has its own customs. Basically, this means use a person's SCA name and titles when speaking to them at an event. If you don't know their name and their titles, My Lord or My Lady is always accepted.

* Be faithful to your word. This means keep your promises and don't lie to others. Honest and honor have the same root word, after all.

* Gentlemen, honor all ladies. Ladies, remain worthy of all honor. This is an aspect of chivalric behavior that many people find old-fashioned. It covers things like men holding doors open for ladies, offering to carry things for them, and so on. Some women lap this stuff up, while others find it not just annoying, but offensively sexist. What the latter group doesn't realize is that it cuts both ways. If a lady sees a gentleman struggling with some heavy load, she can certainly offer to help out. And since there is a goodly number of female fighters out there, the chivalric code about fighters and those that inspire them works both ways as well. Being worthy of all honor means treating other people with respect.

* Touch no man's goods unasked. Think about it. You wouldn't barge into someone's house uninvited and root through their refrigerator, or rifle through their wallets and purses, so why even consider doing it at an SCA event? People sometimes leave their things lying around at events; this comes from a communal trust and is part of what makes an SCA event fun.

* Give and receive with grace. Another central part of chivalric behavior is generosity. If you need something, ask politely and thank the giver. Similarly, give graciously or not at all. If you must refuse, refuse politely, especially if the asking is rude. A gracious response will often shame the asker into better manners.

* Be gentle to the stranger. If you feel it to be necessary to give advice or correction to someone you know is new, be friendly and inform them rather than reprove them. Provide positive suggestions. Be open to and aware of newcomers and make the effort to explain things to them.

* Remain polite and courteous, even in times of conflict. It is never necessary to shout or use insulting language. Personal disputes should be kept private, away from public view.

* Let the slain man say if he be slain. Tournaments are not football games. It is considered bad form to shout advice to a fighter who is on the field, and not even the marshalls do it. The assumption is that all fighters will behave honorably and if they aren't doing so, it will become obvious to everyone. Only a fighter who is hit can judge the force of a blow, so let him judge.

* Give reverence to the King and Queen. This is part of playing the role, and it’s yet another type of common courtesy. Most people give reverence by bowing or curtseying when approaching or being approached by one of the royals, as well as when approaching the thrones. Kneeling in front of the throne during court is part of this (not to mention giving the royals a break; if you're kneeling, they don't have to crane their necks to look at you).