General - Types of Event - Names, Personae, Titles, Regalia
This page is still under development, but the notes here do cover the major issues for newcomers.
Southron Gaard, like the rest of the SCA, welcomes newcomers to its events. If you're keen on anything mediaeval, check us out. There's no need to formally join the organisation in order to participate in most of our activities -- I'm not a paid member of the SCA Inc. myself, though I have been in the past. Active participation is what's most highly valued.
The only requirements are that you:
If you want to attend a feast, camping weekend or other major event, it's probably a good idea to talk to someone beforehand and organise a guide -- like any cultural group, we have our own customs and ways of doing things. For smaller, less formal events, such as fighters' practices, just roll on up and talk to people.
We have an officer, the chatelaine, whose job it is to assist newcomers. This would be a good person to contact if you want a guide or advice and don't know any of the people involved. They are also able to hire out suitable clothing for events for a minimal fee. If you get in touch with the contact person listed for an event, let them know you're new. They'll be able to tell you such things as whether mediaeval clothing is expected.
Feasts are the thing which do most to bring the diverse participants in the SCA together. Not everyone wants to fight or to embroider or to carve, but almost everyone enjoys dining in style. Ignore any stories you may have heard about weird dishes or spoilt ingredients hidden by spices -- mediaeval food is every bit as palatable as modern food. (Not that you won't ever face unusual dishes, but you can be assured the cooks are eating the same food you are.)
One important point about SCA feasts is that you are expected to bring your own crockery and cutlery -- don't worry if it's not authentically mediaeval in design (though if it is, that's a good thing), but please try to avoid anything that's glaringly modern. The chatelaine may be able to help you with this. You are also normally expected to bring your own drinks and bread.
Another point is that the cooks and servers are not servants -- they're people voluntarily doing some work so that others can enjoy themselves. In the long run, everyone is expected to contribute to events in some way -- those who don't cook or serve may sing to entertain the diners, or maybe organise tournaments, or teach people to sew.
If you have any allergies or dietary restrictions, be sure to inform the contact person of this (or better still, the cook, if contact details for them are given). We are usually able to cater for vegetarians (the frequent fast days in mediaeval times meant that vegatarian dishes were common), though full vegans might be a bit tricky.
Feasts always require mediaeval clothing. Some may encourage you to dress to a particular theme -- by all means do so if possible, but don't worry if you can't.
Do note that feasts tend to run for quite a while, with lengthy intervals between courses (even when they're not supposed to...). Come prepared to sit and talk and sing and play chess and...
And a final point about feasts - as you can imagine, the cooks are generally fairly busy and are sometimes under considerable stress. Please do not enter the kitchen for any reason! (Actually, there is one excuse -- you can visit the kitchen if you're offering to assist those working there...)
Tournaments are (normally) where SCA fighters get to display their prowess, and are mostly held in the less-wintery months. If you don't enjoy fighting, or watching fighting, you can still have fun socialising with other spectators. Tourneys tend to be held in publicly accessible areas, so there will often be non-SCAdians present. They're a good choice for a first event. Most tourneys are for "heavy" fighters (both male and female) in metal and leather armour with weapons made of rattan; some are for archers.
"Arts tourneys" are also occasionally held, where the offerings of artisans and craftsfolk are judged to find a winner. Personally, I'm mystified as to how one can judge a bottle of mead against an Elizabethan gown. Other people seem to think differently.
Less formal than feasts, revels are SCA parties. They may or may not actually have a mediaeval theme -- in Southron Gaard they normally do, and mediaeval attire is normally expected.
These normally do not expect mediaeval clothing. Their content could be almost anything, depending on which guild or group is organising them.
These are teaching events, generally held once a year over both days of a convenient weekend. Classes, both practical and theoretical, run from 1-3 hours in length on a wide variety of topics. Pre-registration may be necessary for some classes. Mediaeval clothing is expected at these events in Southron Gaard.
These are the marathon events of the SCA. Canterbury Fair normally runs for about five days (longer for the setup crew); other camping events tend to be Friday-Sunday. You can expect to encounter all of the types of things listed above. If the full stretch is too long for you, it's usually possible to drop in for just a day. You don't need a mediaeval tent (though it'd be nice), but you do need mediaeval clothing -- and more than one set if you're staying the full time.
It's customary for us to adopt mediaeval names for use at events. For your first few events, don't worry too much about a name -- if you can't think of something suitable, you can just use your ordinary first name alone. It's entirely reasonable to simply be "Joan of Christchurch" while you take some time to look at possibilities for a mediaeval name. In addition to names, many people take on the "persona" of someone who might have lived in mediaeval times. As with names, take your time in deciding on what you want to do in this area. Please note that fantasy novels (and many historical novels) are not a good source of realistic mediaeval names!
Please do not give yourself a title of any sort; in the SCA, titles are awarded by royalty for achievements in various fields within the SCA. You can adopt a coat of arms, but it's best to first chat with some knowledgeable person about how the SCA handles armory. (At the very least, wait until you know what other people are using locally, and avoid well-known real-world arms.) When wishing to talk to someone whose name you don't know, it's always acceptable to address them as "m'lord" or "m'lady" -- note that this is not the same as the title "Lord" or "Lady".
You should refrain from wearing a white belt or a chain (reserved for knights) or a crown-like object of any sort (various types are reserved for various people). If you wear a red belt, some people may take you for the squire of a knight -- you are still allowed to wear a red belt (and Southron Gaard isn't big on the "red belts for squires" thing); just be aware of this possibility.
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Last updated: 1 August 1999. Copyright © 1996,1997. Permission granted to reprint in non-commercial publications. Please contact me in other cases.
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