Saving swords: Society for Creative Anachronism keeping medieval history alive

By Dylan Otto Krider
For the Ledger

For a group that calls itself the Society of Creative Anachronism, members sure put a lot of time into recreating a yesteryear that’s anachronism free.

Hans (Justin Wolff), left, and Argyle (Nick Solick) battled battle on their knees, denoting they were "injured" by a sword blow during a recent meeting of the Society for Creative Anachronism in Longmont.

Every Tuesday during the winter months, artisans and warriors gather at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont learn the ancient art of candle-making or practice swordplay.

The knights, squires and guild members who hail from the lands commonly referred to as Broomfield, Boulder, Longmont and the “greater 287 corridor” know themselves to be citizens of the Barony of Caer Galen. The SCA has 19 kingdoms worldwide, with the king decided by mock battle at a yearly coronation. Its humble barony is but one of several in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Nebraska that makes up the Kingdom of the Outlands, overseen by their royal majesties King Bela (actually Bill Mesaros) and Queen Anna (his fiancee, Anna Bjugstad) of Louisville.

“We’re more historical,” said King Bela, who works for a Boulder company by day, making seeded paper for cards that can be planted.

That is why the SCA is not as active at the Colorado Renaissance Festival as it used to be — there are only so many turkey legs and costumes with fairy wings one can take before the experience starts to lose its authenticity.

Mustafa Kamal (Jim Stanley, of Broomfield) prepares to engage his opponent during heavy weapons practice at the Society for Creative Anachronism meeting of the Barony of Caer Galen for Boulder and Broomfield counties at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont.

Unlike live-action role playing, there are no magic or fantasy elements or role-playing in the strictest sense. What SCA members do is more akin to Civil War re-enactors, except they focus on the Medieval to Renaissance periods.

During a battle, a hit is based on the honor system, where glancing blows are discounted. Yet, his majesty said the codes of chivalry and social pressures prevent it from ever being abused.

They often have weapons and armor to loan drop-ins, though everyone is required to sign a waiver acknowledging they are aware of the inherent danger of beating each other with medieval weapons. The swords are made from rattan, a type of bamboo that splinters rather than breaks, so participants are left with broom bristles rather than sharp edges.

Caer Galen’s media relations mistress Meenakshi da Gama (Broomfield patent lawyer Margaret Polson) can remember only one dislocated finger at a practice in the past 10 years. The mock battles are a different matter, as things can get out of control when you have hundreds of people running on adrenaline.

About half of the fencers are women, but heavy weapons fighters tend to skew male. Red belts denote an apprentice, white a knight. At least one of the fencers has won fencing championships in college.
“We have quite a few lawyers,” Polson said. “But (SCA) draws people from all walks of life.”

There are engineers, teachers, information technology people and a professional fantasy writer.

Polson used to fence, but has recently specialized in Indian clothing.

The society is not all swordplay. The barony’s herald, Maestra Francesca di Pavia (Meg Baron of Broomfield), helps newcomers research names and coats of arms for their SCA persona.

“We help people design their coats of arms so they can be registered,” she said.

Baron also used to fence, but now makes costumes, candles, soaps and jewelry.

“Some months we have one of the guilds show up (to the practice),” she said of the Tuesday meetings.

The first Tuesday of the month tends to be a larger affair. There is an embroidery guild, musicians, brewers and even a group that makes chandeliers. SCA will have an arts and sciences competition Saturday, then a kingdom-wide competition in April, both in Boulder.

Baron said SCA has taught her marketable skills. Having gone through two layoffs in a tough job market, she has started www.sleepyowlcreations.com to sell things she learned to make in the group.

She has been a member since 1988, where she met her husband, Louis-Philippe Mitouard (a.k.a., Ben) who has participated since 1979.

The group began in 1966 at a graduation party for author Diana Paxson, when she got her medieval studies degree from the University of California-Berkley. Fantasy author and member Marion Zimmer Bradley is credited with the name.

Mustafa Kanal (ex-marine and aerospace technician Jim Stanley from Westminster) said he discovered the group in 1982, when he was handed a flier at the opening of “Conan the Barbarian.”

“Fighting got me into it,” he said, but at the camps, sitting around the campfire, with everyone sharing their little historical area of expertise, he caught the history bug.

“You can’t help it,” he said.