SCA 201

THIS IS PAGE ONE OF SIX, PLEASE START HERE!!!!

This is an attempt to help you find your place in the SCA. Most newcomers are curious and feel free to ask questions. Once a person has experienced the general pattern of SCA life, they often have a hard time finding their niche, or understanding the more complex workings of the SCA. 

This page is meant for people who understand the basics of the SCA, but are wondering what to do now, how the details work, and what their options are. 

The SCA is different things to different people. If you want it to be, the SCA is a chance to have a completely different life. You can have a craft, a new set of friends, and a totally different path. Consider where you are, and where you would like to be in the SCA. Hopefully this page will give you some tools to making your road a smooth one, wherever it might lead!

General

Good skills to encourage in yourself and others. Basic understanding of SCA customs, traditions, and practices. Knowledge of who to ask when you need a question answered. Ability to find answers to your questions, through consulting with others, and research. A desire to be the most medieval person you can.

This last one is something which is very important in the SCA. The stated goal of the SCA is what? To recreate the Middle Ages to the best of our ability. Both parts of that sentence are very important. First, the SCA is not just an opportunity to camp in a field with two thousand of your best friends. We are here to try to bring into the modern world something which existed in the past. Second, it is our duty and honor to do so, to the best of our ability. Now, if you are doing the best that you are personally capable of, that is all that the SCA can possibly ask for or desire. This means that newcomers are not expected to have completely medieval clothing, tents, and cooking gear. It means is that the GOAL of all SCA people should be a medieval experience. The rate at which they reach that goal is a matter of the time, money, and knowledge they have to devote to this hobby.

The first thing to do is to figure out what sort of life a medieval person had. It is hard to recreate what you don't have any idea about. When you have that knowledge, then set about to acquire or make the components that you need to live your life in a medieval way. If you can honestly evaluate your effort and say that you are doing your personal best, then all expectations are met and beyond.

Now, not all of the SCA is encompassed by medieval life. Large sections have very little relation to the Middle Ages. What if you find that your interest lies in those areas, and not in extensive recreation? There is a simple requirement to participate in the SCA, and that is that you can APPEAR AS A MEDIEVAL PERSON. So, if you take a little time, and learn just enough to put together what other recreation societies call a "basic kit", then you can devote all your future time to whatever pursuits most interest you.

A basic kit is as follows: medieval clothing and accessories so that nothing you display is overtly modern. Anything which is hidden can be as modern as you like, it is only the surface appearance which is in question here. Ideally, this includes a medieval encampment as well. This concept is equivalent to getting the gear together to participate in a sport. To kayak, you must gather a boat, wetsuit, paddles, and accessories. To play in the SCA, clothes, tent, shoes, belt, and eating gear. Again, all of this is subject to the "best of your ability" clause. 

Also, let me make this VERY CLEAR, a basic kit is NOT REQUIRED to play in the SCA. You can work on building your kit WHILE you are enjoying your time in the SCA. 

It is much easier to do any of these things if you have a specific time and place of interest. This is called a persona. There are literally hundreds of possibilities to choose from here. The land of cotton broad-cloth tunics with Celtic knot-work trim is not one of them. Fantasy novels, romance novels, movies, and role-playing games are also not applicable. Choose from any real time periods and places. Once you have that base, you can then see what they wore, ate, camped in, etc in that context.

Consider to begin with the countries of Europe. Besides the ubiquitous English historical sources, consider France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Scandinavia, the Baltic States, Greece, Russia, Switzerland, and Eastern Europe. If none of those catch your interest, consider North Africa, Egypt, Persia, Turkey, India, China, Steppes Nomads, or Japan.

Mixing times and places is much harder. Though isolated incidents of such kinds can be found in history, it is far easier to recreate the life of an ordinary person who would have identified themselves mainly as being from a single culture. There are, of course, exceptions.

Another important point to consider is the social position of the person you are creating. Most museum and books are filled with descriptions and artifacts from the very richest the middle ages had to offer. These people bought the equivalent of Lear jets for fun, purchased "extra" castles, and funded personal wars. I cannot recreate that, I don't have enough money. Most people in the middle ages didn't either. They, like we today, wore cheap knock-offs of the expensive clothes, had everyday jewelry made from cheaper metals, lived modestly. This is something most SCA people can recreate. Look for the merchants, townspeople, and servants in the paintings. Check for medieval trash in museums, and ordinary objects in images. (this is stuff to work on by yourself or with your friends. It isn't daily life in the SCA).

Please proceed to Page 2, fighting and why you should care about it, here: https://sites.google.com/site/kadasresearch/sca-200/sca-201/sca-201-about-fighting