Friday, July 25, 2008

A Time for all things

This week, my Beloved and I are preparing to go to war. To be more specific, A war. Quad War, it's called. It's the largest annual gathering in the Principality of Avacal. Oh, you've not heard of the Society for Creative Anachronism? See sca.org for beginner's information on the SCA. See also http://www.sca.org for more information on the Society, and http://quadwar.avacal-sca.org/index.htm for the website of the event known as Quad War.

For now, we have acquired a new tent, two new foam-filled air mattresses, stove and fuel... Now we're getting the clothing ready. We each need garb for four days - and water for four. My Beloved is sewing at every spare moment, and I am attempting to braid four cords with the lucet, to be used to tie collars and cuffs of children's shirts. The stove works: I heated water for tea last night on the back steps. The air mattresses took a long time to inflate decently at first, but they're very comfortable. The sleeping bags will be checked tomorrow evening. Life is good.

Since I practice only modern first aid on our injured populace (if any injuries occur), I am not allowed to carry leeches, except the gummi variety. Gummi worms will be taken, and prescribed as needed. "No., no, don't swallow it whole; you have to grind it up by chewing for the medicine to work!"

4 comments:

Elizabeth McClung said...

Um....well it keeps you out of bars and off the streets? I take it wheelies are not allowed in SCA events or are we allowed to bend history that far? The only problem is that I tend to get really odd reactions at SCA events which are sort of like Ren faires or Goth Faires except some people at them think they are somewhat historically accurate. Only in the UK, SCA isn't allowed, as there are hardcore groups for each century, so I worked with one guy who was in a 12-13th century reenactment group and did X years of long spear work to be a spearman (not a knight) and how people spend two years making thier authentic chain link and such.

I remember this one woman who was telling me that she was (in SCA world), half Irish and half Scandinavian in the sixth century (maybe it was the seventh). And I said, "Oh, your mother was raped then, sorry."

And she got all hinky, becuase apparently she was unaware that the Norse raided Ireland and the UK (and France) regularly during this period raping women and catching slaves and it is while Alfred eventually created a system of forts people to run and hide into and became a King Authur prototype. What did she think happened, an Irish woman and a Norse guy met on thier trip to....the wine country? Such is my fate with SCA events; alas. Maybe I should try again now that I am all kinder and gentler.

Dawn Allenbach said...

Well, I suppose I should come out of lurking to inquire, "So, how was it?"

I used to do SCA activities when I still lived in Kansas, but I haven't connected with any SCA folks in southeastern Louisiana. I no longer even have garb as I lost the whopping two outfits I had to Katrina.

Dawn Allenbach said...

Beth -- At one of the first Ren Faires I attended merely as a mundane, a man asked me if I wanted him to notify the authorities about my stolen horses.

"My horses?" I asked.

He waved his hands at my wheelchair and said, "Your wagon, m'lady. Someone has stolen your horses." After joking for a bit, I started driving away, and he winked at me and said in a low voice, "Ah, sorcery. Much more efficient, and you need not feed it."

Neil said...

Beth: it was great. I'll post, I promise!

No, you would NOT be barredfrom an SCA event, for it is CREATIVE anachronism. There's a motivational poster (that includes "Inspiring") somewhere on the 'net that shows an SCA fighter in full amour and in a wheelchair.

Dawn: well spoken lad, that was, to recognize your plight! At the Quad War, there was a fellow buzzing around on a 4-wheel ATV. My first thought was, "He's at the wrong quad war," but what I said to him was, "You should not feed your horse so much chili, my Lord!" He was allowed to use it, for he had a back injury that would have prevented his attendance otherwise.

As far sa historical accuracy, Beth, my Beloved went to the University of Regina on Thursday to help sign up new members - we're an official University group, thus we must have at least 20 active students as members to allow us the free room every Sunday. My Beloved hooked in one admin student by explaining that double-entry bookkeeping was started in the Middle Ages. And she snagged a Christian group's member by explaining the Eight Deadly Sin, and the second defenestration of Prague. She is truly a font of knowledge, my dear wife is...

The SCA does exist in the UK, but they're a fairly small group there. They do have the advantage of real castles and actual medieval stuff hanging around in museums and people's back gardens.