The SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms) is a historical re-enactment organization (don't gaffaw, you out there who know the SCA well). Well, re-enactment is a little excessive. Re-creation, rather. They study the Middle Ages of Europe, and recreate it without the icky parts...like the Inquisition and the Plague. Really...I would call it a post-Pre-Raphealite revival, but they don't let me decide these things. I was a member for 13 years, delighting in the creative energy of my fellow members.

During my time as a member, I learned traditional English country dancing, gained an appreciation for early music, read history books without falling asleep, learned left handed calligraphy without permanently staining any furniture or clothing, practiced weaving, dyeing, beading, embroidery, seamstry, tailoring, and many many other wonderful things. Given that I'm not an enormously motivated person when it comes to such things, I find just reading that last sentence and knowing it to be true remarkable. It's a small display of the level of inspiration toward traditional arts that the SCA evokes.

In addition to these artistic efforts, the SCA also has athletics. Their 'sport' is a recreation of armored sword fighting. Instead of steel swords they use duct taped rattan. Blows taken from these sticks are taken by the honor system. If the blow is of sufficient strength, the fighter might accept that he's lost the use of the limb struck. Or he might accept it as a death. Fighting is debatably the backbone of the political system within the SCA. I say debatably, because a large number of people would disagree vehemently with me over this assertion. But this isn't THEIR website, so I'm going to say what I say. Anyway.

The SCA is supposedly feudal based in their political system, which means multi levels of royalty over land based territories of subjects. Since almost all of us are American and therefore born without titles, the SCA chooses their royalty by trial at arms. There are currently (that I know of) 14 Kingdoms spanning the globe, including Australia, North and Central America, Europe and Antarctica. Each Kingdom is autonomous, each with their own set of King and Queen. A kingdom may choose to subdivide further into Principalities which are governed by a Prince and Princess. These Princes and and Princesses do not succeed their leige Kings. Princes and Kings are decided by tournament.

In most regions, Crown and Coronet tournaments are held every 6 months, with the Coronation or Investiture held a short time later. Whoever wins a Crown tournament is the Crown Prince or Princess (there has been one instance of a woman winning at Crown) until the Coronation.

To further complicate things, there are also territorial Barons and Baronesses who govern over Baronies. This low level of royal governance is not usually decided by combat (though there are some rare cases). It is typically decided by popular decision, or by the Kings' whim. Kings and Princes govern at such a distance from the day to day workings of small areas that who actually fills their role is largely unimportant (oh BOY, can I hear the screams now <s>). This is not true of Barons and Baronesses. They are so intimately connected with their subjects day to day SCA lives that they can not, and should not be so casually appointed.

At this point you may be saying to yourself...WHO CARES?? It's a made up kingdom, made up names and titles, and made up playacting. Well....I was a part of all this stuff. I dedicated a great deal of my time and energy to all of this for a lot of years. And it was important to me. I've always been a pretty social creature, needing to be a part of a group. For years, that was my outlet.

jeniwren@compuserve.com

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