SCA stands for the Society for Creative Anachronism. Anachronism refers to something out of it’s proper time or place, and the Creative refers to the fact that certain facts are altered or lef out when members are playing. For example, unlike the real middle ages, tere is no sexism or rampant religion present in the activities of the SCA. All in all it is a friendly group, welcoming of members of all genders, races and ages.

SCA activities include fighting – both in wars/melee battles and one on one tournaments. Fighters must wear full armour covering vulnerable locations like the neck, kidneys and knees and elbows. Almost any weapon is legal, as ong as they are constructed out of a specific type of wood and wrapped with fibre tape to prevent breakage. This includes swords, shields, spears, knives and bows and arrows. Melee battles pit one household against each other and may take the form of a bridge battle, a sea battle, a siege or guerilla combat. Tournaments are generally one on one and are held in the honour of a king, queen, or notable member of the society. The kind is the winner of a crown tourny, ideally the best fighter in the society at that time.

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Costuming is a large part of the fun of the SCA. Costumes can be purchased but are generally home made, with patterns provided by friends or in stores. Materials must be period – cotton and wools as opposed to nylon or PVC. SCA members create a persona to use within the society with a distinct culture and a ame that could feasibly have been used in the chosen time period. Fighters also design their own coat of arms to display on their shields so that they can be distinguished on the batelefield. There are a large number of heralds involved in the organisation who check the historical accuracy of shields, arms and names.

Armour may be made from scratch or bought from stores or online. There are well established trust networks within the SCA and armour is generally exchanged between friends for goods or services. A friend of a friend is a blacksmith, another friend is a tailor, and you might be good at designing or creating jewellery. There are strict minimum requirements for armour in the name of safety, a copmplete guide can be found online.

For more information, google the SCA to find your local kingdom or region. Fighter practices are generally held weekly so come along and take a look!