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Welcome to my SCA page!This whole page is about my participation in the world's largest medieval history reenactment organization, The Society For Creative Anachronism.
The SCA is more than a club, it is an entire experience. I got into it when I was in college at the University of Michigan. As I was very interested in history, arts, and athletics, it was a natural for me. I discovered the medieval European martial arts we call Heavy Weapons fighting, where we dress up in real reproduction armor and smack each other around as a genuine sport. Well, I had been a soccer player on one of the best teams in Michigan in high school, and then I played in college until I found the SCA. Soccer just wasn't as much fun.
In the arts I found a creative person's paradise. I first started to learn the art of making medieval style book pages with calligraphy and illumination. From there things just went crazy as I spread my interests into all kinds of things. I was making costumes, things from leather, armor, paints, artist tools, parchment, casting metal, etc. You name it! Now I am teaching some of these things professionally!
The best thing I can say about the SCA is that it is great fun, and it is a place where no matter what your interests may be in the modern world, you will probably find other people doing the medieval version in the SCA. Likewise, for many it is a great way to take a short vacation from today's world and have fun in an imaginary time "not-so-past."
The SCA is organized into geographic regions around the world called Kingdoms. I live in the Middle Kingdom, and it currently includes the US states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, and a little bit of adjacent Ontario province. We had a Principality just gain Kingdom status, so we no longer contain the US states and Canadian provinces to our northwest.
On a more local level, we are arranged in local groups known as Shires, Cantons and Baronies. Cantons exist as subsections of Baronies, and I live in the Barony of Cynnabar.
In the SCA, we have a King and a Queen in each kingdom, and at our events they often have a royal court. At these courts they usually give out recognitions for achievement, or to promote the ideals such as chivalry, that we hold dearly in the SCA. I have been honored with several of these recognitions in the time I have been with the organization, and these include some very high rank and titles. In the SCA, I am a Knight and a member of the Order of the Laurel. The knighthood makes me a member of the Order of Chivalry, which is our highest recognition for fighting prowess and chivalric virtues. As a Master of the Order of the Laurel, I have been equally honored by our Society for its highest rank and recognition in the arts. I have also been given the title of Baron of the Court of Their Majesties Tadashi and Ariake.
I had to show the picture above because I suffer the most unchivalric sin of pride! Ever since my first days in the SCA, I have always wanted to be able to wear chainmaile armor as my standard fighting gear. The problem is that even with the minimum required bits of plate on vital areas, it was still very little protection against the force of blows we deliver, and it was VERY hard to get. It took until the summer of 2004 before I finally got a whole head to toe suit of chainmaile. Now all of my gear can look as if it fits about the first quarter of the 14th century. That was my goal, and my dream. At last it has come true. In the picture I am wearing that chainmaile. Over it I am wearing a special surcote of my heraldry that was made from linen and hand embroidered with silk. It even has gold wrapped wire and real tiger eyes! It took my ex-wife about 50 hours to embroider each of the four charges (emblems) on it!
I am standing in the front of the merchant pavilion of my friend Dosalena Sophia della Mirandola, who uses the business name Guild Mirandola. That is my writing desk reproduction behind me on the left. It is based on the one seen in the photo on my tools page.
As a Master of the Order of the Laurel, I am expected to take apprentices and teach them the arts of calligraphy and illumination. I have had several apprentices and many students. My apprentices Fionna MacNichol, Dulcina Maria Magdalena von Muhlberg y Aguilar, Countess Ariake, and my Student Gavehard von Baden have all achieved recognition as Masters of these arts.
As a Knight of the Society, I am also expected to take on squires and Men at Arms to train with the goal of knighthood. So far none have made it yet, but there is some real potential!
