First Battle
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 annually 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 organizations, 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, woodworking, and costuming; craft arts such as armoring & blacksmithing; performing 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 andvarious “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 meticulous researchers- accomplished experts in a chosen discipline of history. Others join the group for its unique social characteristics-- its embracement of eccentricity.... 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.
thudded: v. hit, pounded
in unison: adv. at the same time together, in harmony
braced: v. held
giddy: adj. nervous
tendrils: n. lines, tentacles
wiry: adj. thin with muscles
clad in: v. wearing
scale: n. scale armor
strode: v. walked (confidently)
cackling: v./adj. laughing (loud
goose bumps: n. bumps on skin (caused by fear or excitement)
butt: n. bottom
rattan: n. a plant similar to bamboo
advanced: v. moved forward
adrenaline: n. a hormone, a bod chemical (released by fear or excitement)
awe: n. amazement
anachronism: n. something out of place in time/history (doesn’t belong to that time period)
oddballs: n. strange people
medieval: adj. middle ages peri
strap on: v. put on, wear
outlandish: adj. dramatic, fun & creative
hyper-intelligent: adj. very sma
geeks: idiom. smart uncool peo
hammish: adj. too dramatic
buffs: n. people who like something, fans
misfits: n. people who don’t fit i with normal society
to succumb: v. to be beaten by, surrender to
drudgery: n. boring work
affair: n. experience, event
revolves around: v. focuses on
centerpiece: n. most important part
implies: v. says indirectly, suggests
patchwork: n. a loose collection
guild: n. a trade group, a union
full-fledged: n. complete, total
counter-society: n. alternative society, alternative culture
monarchy: n. a government ruled by a king or queen
clans: n. large extended families, tribes
persona: n. personality, character
stunning: adj. amazing
nerves: n. nervous feeling
intensity: n. power
manic: adj. super-energetic
meticulous: adj. very careful
accomplished: adj. successful
embracement: n. acceptance
eccentricity: n. weirdness (harmless strangeness)
camaraderie: n. friendship, feelings of friendship
jubuliant: adj. very happy
defiance: n. rebellion, disobedience
tedium: n. boredom
abandon: v. leave, neglect
for its own sake: idiom. for enjoyment only
profound: adj. very important, very meaningful
nurture: v. take care of, help grow
essence: n. central part, most important part
