Imagine being able to temporarily time-travel and escape modern distractions, exhausting work situations, and stressful politics. Which time period would you choose to visit?
While we may not have a time machine, we do have a unique opportunity to take a break from modern life. When you visit the Barony of Adiantum in the Kingdom of An Tir, you will find yourself surrounded by people dressed in authentic medieval attire, ranging from 600 A.D. to 1400 A.D.
You can experience competitive fighting championships – not in football or basketball, but with rapier, cut and thrust (C&T), and heavy fighting styles. Attendees can also engage in period crafts and cooking, while enjoying singing, dancing, and bards sharing tales.
It might sound like this barony is located in a faraway land. It is, in fact, right here in our backyard.
The Barony of Adiantum, a local chapter of The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), organizes both small and large public events. Many of these events take place in and around Springfield, Creswell, and Dexter, as well as the surrounding areas.
On March 14, SCA celebrated the chapter’s 50th anniversary in the region. This milestone was marked by participants wearing historical garb, championship fighting competitions, and the serving of historical food at the Walterville Grange.
Comparing SCA events to a Renaissance faire, you might see someone dressed in plain clothes and someone else stroll by dressed as Darth Vader, an anime character, or a fairy. SCA events differ: they are immersive historical reenactments meant to be educational, which is why proper garb is important.
“It’s not like a Renaissance faire, where it’s a show for spectators. Everyone is a participant. Everyone wears garb. We have the rule that everyone is basically making an attempt. It doesn’t have to be perfect,” said Jerry “Tam” Iverson, a heavy fighter of historical combat. Iverson started organizing demonstrations for public events in 2001 in Olympia, Wash., though he is new to this area and is still getting to know the SCA community here.
The first SCA event took place in 1966, when a group of history enthusiasts and science fiction/fantasy fans organized an outdoor party in Berkeley, Calif. They extended an invitation for “all knights to defend in single combat the title of ‘fairest’ for their ladies.” In the second year of the event, they decided to call themselves “The Society for Creative Anachronism.”
Since then, the organization has grown significantly, expanding across the United States and becoming an international group with around 30,000 paid members. The SCA has chapters in Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, New Zealand, and Asia. It operates as a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to recreating pre-17th Century arts, culture, and skills.
“All big events ask that people make some attempt to wear medieval clothing. We have something called ‘gold key.’ It is clothing we provide as free loaner garb, available at most events, said Bonnie Williams, who goes by Dame Aila’ntha of Williams Keep. “Borrowers simply sign it out and return it before leaving the event. It is then laundered before being lent out again. There is usually enough for all sizes.”
Williams first became involved in the SCA in 1974 after seeing an insert in the Sunday edition of The Register-Guard. At the time, she had a baby and two preschoolers and was looking for an affordable activity. Williams loved that it was family-friendly, educational, and creative.
“There is literally something for everyone: if it was part of life pre-1600, I’m pretty sure that someone in the SCA has researched it. I’m a person who loves exploring the histories of people. Being able to do that while recreating the arts, crafts, sciences, and some of the day-to-day activities as our forefathers might have done keeps me always interested. I’ve never been bored because there is always something else to learn.”
Over the years, Williams had been involved in various aspects of the SCA, ranging from being a spectator in medieval garb to attending business meetings, serving as an officer, and stewarding events as an event organizer. Her family continues to participate.
“My daughter and granddaughter also steward events. That same granddaughter is on our Siege Team, throws ax, knife, and spear, shoots on our archery range, and teaches many classes in the Arts and Sciences at events. Because they love it, too.”
In May, the local SCA will host the Egil Skallagrimsson Memorial Tournament, a four-day camping event from May 22-26 at Lynx Hollow State Park just outside of Creswell. This event gathers about 900 people. Some of the proposed activities include: dyeing, making longbows and arrows, dipping beeswax candles, cheesemaking, carving a block and printing on fabric, hand-sewing historical attire like stockings, braies, and tunics, heavy fighting, and building a community bread oven.
