The Society for Creative Anachronism is an intriguing source of folklore. The stories dealing with some sort of weaponry or armor show facets of this culture that is not often seen in modern society.

The Society for Creative Anachronism was founded in 1966 in Berkeley, California by a group of science fiction and fantasy fans who wanted a theme party. Following the party, a group got together to discuss the idea of a medieval re-creation and re-enactment group. Now the Society has expanded to include more than 20,000 people spread over most of the continents.

The SCA is dedicated to the study of the European Middle Ages, the time period before 1600. Instead of doing pure research, members of the Society use a hands-on approach to the arts of the Middle Ages. A person studying armor also makes the armor and a person studying the clothing of the time makes the costumes. Values assigned to the Middle Ages are also recreated. Chivalry is very much alive in the Society along with the respect, politeness, and helpfulness ascribed to the chivalric code.

In the SCA, many people own, and carry, real steel weapons and armor. As it is said by many SCAdians, "An armed Society is a polite society." Members tend to be very protective of their weaponry.

In the series of tales I have collected, there are some common themes. Many of the stories tell of encounters with muggers, aiding damsels in distress, and border crossings. Each of the stories illustrates the values of the people in the SCA and the effects of actions based on these values.

The first set of tales deals with muggers and thieves. In all of the tales the attacker is driven away by some unexpected response on the part of the Society member. A typical SCA fighter is not easily intimidated. He has faced men faster, larger, and quite often better than he on a SCA battle field. They are also fiercely independent and generally do not like to rely on the police to help them out of trouble or to set right the effects of the problem.

These stories also illustrate the great respect Society members have for their weapons and the people who know how to use them.

In the second set of stories, the Society members are defending women against attacks. Society members tend to be protective of each other and women in particular. They hate violence against women and, I've found, will do much to prevent or revenge it. Contrary to society at large, SCA members will not ignore the problems of this type of violence. In fact, as the stories go, a member who interferes in the attack of a woman is often rewarded. To members, this is an extension of their Society values of honor, courtesy, and helpfulness into their everyday lives.

Members of the SCA are very much aware of their affects on non-members, or what they term mundanes. Taken out of context, a SCA member appears to belong to a different age. The knight in shining armor of medieval legend appearing to rescue a woman in distress. This effect is most graphic at border crossings where a fighter is accompanied by his weaponry.

These stories, and others like them, are told to re-enforce the accepted values and behaviors of the SCA. The stories are mostly told to new members of the SCA who have not been conditioned to act with appropriate manners. This is a way for older members to instill the respect, the courtesy, the chivalry apparent in most Society members.