Newcomers

Battering Ram

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Newcomers

The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a social group dedicated to the study and re creation of the Dark and Middle Ages.

The Society for Creative Anachronism holds private events as well as public demonstrations .

If you’d like to take part please keep in mind the following: We are attempting to recreate the Middle Ages (650AD- 1650AD) and all on site are considered participants. Please attempt to dress in a medieval style, and keep cell phones and other modern conveniences from disrupting the event.

If you would like to take part, or even just check things out, please be respectful of what’s going on, if you have any questions please ask!

Local website can be found online at http://www.tirrigh.org/ramsgaard/

Areas of Interest:

Western martial arts are studied by those interested.
In Heavy Fighting full replica armour is worn with combatants using rattan, a solid bamboo, instead of metal swords. In this full contact, heavy fighting it is on ones honour to acknowledge when ”good” blows have been landed.
Kings, princes, knights and squires are drawn from the ranks of heavy fighters.
Rapier combatants study from period manuals to reinterpret the duels and pageantry of later period civilian combat.

Youth combat is also developing with many children and youth having fun and learning the chivalric virtues.

Archery, both target and combat are widely participated in.

Arts & Sciences of the middle ages are studied at length, encompassing everything from the clothes that people wear to the food they eat and the pavilions they rest in, and so much more. Participants display and compete showing their researched and painstakingly reproduced projects. Laurels have little rest with apprentices always searching for more information on how things have been so long ago.

Bards bring much atmosphere to every event, from a wandering minstrel playing a tune to a court bard spreading the word fame of their liege.

Many other activities go on within the SCA, this was just to give you a taste!

Gondolas in Venice; Size=240 pixels wide

This text will describe the picture above.

Medieval Forms of Address
Mistress Yolande Chastellain October 10, 2003 Adapted from "Courtesy and Etiquette in the Current Middle Ages" by Mistress Diana Listmaker, 1972

The basic rule for attendance at Society events is that the participant behave as a lady or gentleman.

To this end, using medieval forms of address is considered good etiquette. Use people's Society names and titles, not their mundane (or modern) ones, even if you know them well. In the Middle Ages, even close relatives addressed or referred to each other formally - "Salute me to Sir Lancelot, my lord father," says Galahad. Nicknames were for peasants. Although colourful epithets were often attached to names - King Charles the Bald, Frederick Barbarossa - one assumes that most of these were not used to the nominee's face. Formality in social relationships is an indication that familiarity has not bred contempt. And not only is it authentic to keep language medieval, it is almost a psychological necessity if an authentic atmosphere is to be created at Society events. If you don't know somebody's name, address him or her as "my lord" or "my lady", not "hey you!"

Note that the adjectives (your, his, her, their) change depending on to whom it is your speaking. For example: "Anne, can you please find His Majesty. Oh, Your Majesty, There You are." Or, "Your Excellency, this is The Right Honourable Marie de Paris. Your Ladyship, this is His Excellency, John of London." Alternate Title List Titles and forms of addresses are sometimes changed into the language of the individual's historic and cultural persona. For example, "Cometessa Morgaine Brigantia" for Countess Morgaine (Latin), and "Maestro Eduardo Francesco Maria Lucrezia" for Master Eduardo (Italian).

The Alternate Title List, from SCA Laurel office, has tables of equivalent title usage for non-English cultures. Visit http://www.sca.org/heraldry/titles.html

Some SCA Terms

An Tir- The kingdom: BC, Alta, Sask, WA, OR & ID
Autocrat: The individual in charge of a specific event
Anno societatis abbreviated A.S., is the calendar year since the formation of the SCA. The A.S. (year of the Society) runs from May 1 through April 30. Jan thru April of 1996 A.D. will be in A.S. 30; with May thru Dec of 1996 A.D. being in 31 A.S.
Arts & Sciences: The study and recreation of period things.
Bardic music, performances, singing and storytelling.
Chatelaine: group officer for greeting & helping new members.
Chirurgeon Person in charge of first aid
Court A gathering for announcements and awards, which tries to mimic the way a real court might have been set up in period times. People stand as the royalty (be it Kings, Queens, Barons, or Princesses) enters, the royalty is usually seated on thrones at the front (generally flanked by guards & attendants), and then court begins (aided by a herald).
Eric: n., the marked-off fighting area.
Event: n., an official function of the SCA.
Garb: clothing and accessories worn by SCA members to events. Ideally as authentic to the SCA period of study as possible, an effort to dress in the flavor of the period.
Gate- Site entrance
Gate Fee/ Site Fee- The cost to enter an event.
Heavy Fighting/ Fighter: n., Western Martial Arts: sword fighting! Rattan combat, or someone who participates in such.
Head Table: n., The head table at a feast, where the VIPs sit.
HOLD!: imperative v., Stop! Danger!
Known Worlde: n., the totality of the groups of the SCA
King/ Queen-The reigning royals in the kingdom."Their Majesties"
Mundane: n., the "real" world, the twentieth century
Period: adj., within the range of the SCA's interest; pre-1650 CE.
Persona: n., one's SCA "character"
Prince/ Princess- The reigning royals in the principality."Their Highnesses"
Rapier: Western Martial Arts: Later Period fencing.
Crown Prince/ Princess- The winners of Crown Tournament who will soon step up as Prince & Princess. "Their Highnesses"
Tanist/ ban Tanist- The winners of Coronet Tournament who will soon step up as Prince & Princess. "Their Excellencies"
The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Our "Known World" consists of 19 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which may feature tournaments, arts exhibits, classes, workshops, dancing, feasts, and more. Our "royalty" hold courts at which they recognize and honour members for their contributions to the group
The Shire of Ramsgaard -The Kamloops and area SCA group.
Tir Righ- The principality: British Columbia &Bellingham WA
Waterbarer- People who insure everyone is well hydrated.

A Basic Tunic or Dress:

This garment is based on a plain Viking Age Birka style garment. Very similar cuts have been found through out period, as far reaching as the middle east.
It can be made longer or shorter to be a dress or tunic. This pattern can also be altered to use for a coat.

Fabrics Linen silk and wool are very period. Try to avoid really modern looking fabrics.
Dyes In York the fabric found all appeared to be a dull brown, but upon closer laboratory analysis they have proven to have been a “blaze of colour” .
Among the botanical remains found in York were madder (red), woad (blue), and weld (yellow).
Seams Seams were not thought of as something that needed to be hidden in the Viking Age, in fact contrasting coloured threads have been found, along with elaborate seam treatments.

Customs, Etiquette, and Playing the Game Regalia & Sumptuary Laws, or
"Who Gets to Wear What?"
From The An Tir Handbook, 3rd Edition, May 1998 www.antir.sca.org/Pubs/ATH/

The Society as a whole observes certain conventions:

Kings and Queens wear Crowns.
The heirs to the Throne and the royalty of principalities wear Coronets.
Dukes and Duchesses wear circlets embellished with strawberry leaves.
Counts, Countesses, Viscounts and Viscountesses wear circlets which are crenelated.
Landed Barons and Baronesses wear the circlets of their Barony.
Court Barons and Baronesses wear circlets embellished with pearls.
Members of the Order of Chivalry who are Knights wear white belts and heavy gold chains. Members who are Masters at Arms wear a white baldric. Both Knights and Masters may wear gold spurs.
Members of the Order of the Laurel wear the badge of their order, often as a medallion on a necklace.
Members of the Order of the Pelican wear the badge of their order, often as a medallion on a necklace. They are also entitled to wear a cap of maintenance, but this practice is not common in An Tir.

The following is customary within An Tir:

Members of the Order of the Pelican and of the Laurel may wear a circlet which bears the badge of their orders.
Members of the Order of the Iron Chain wear a black iron chain.
Many squires throughout the Known World wear a red belt to indicate their relationship with a member of the Order of Chivalry. In An Tir, it has become customary for the end of the red belt to be marked with the Knight or Master’s badge or device. Some squires also wear silver chains in imitation of the chain of fealty.
Some apprentices and protégés in other kingdoms wear belts of certain colours to indicate their relationship with members of the Order of the Laurel or the Pelican. This tradition is not firmly entrenched in An Tir.
Any subject of An Tir may wear, bear, or display the badge of An Tir: Chequey Or and argent, a lion's head caboshed within a border sable.
It is considered extremely poor manners to wear jewelry, headgear, or any other articles which might lead others to think you hold a higher rank than you actually do.

The Battering Ram, published by and for the members of the Shire of Ramsgaard of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.
It is not a publication of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. and does not delineate SCA policies.