Evolution of SCA: wasDrunk and Dis.

[Galen of Bristol]

dentim at mail.myriad.net wrote:
<snip>
> So to you,
> the  people of Ansteorra, I pose a query, how has the SCA changed since you
> joined?  THe level of authenticety,the fighting, the arts, or just the
> "flavor" of  events. How have these changed? Are we getting better?
> timo

At 17 1/2 years as a fighter in the SCA and counting, I have a _lot_ of 
memories.  If I could do _anything_ in the SCA, it would be to go back in
time -- not to our period -- but to A.S. XIV when I joined.  I joined in
Meridies, the only local knight was King (2nd reign) John the Bearkiller,
who had been fighting a whole _5_ years!  I remember fighting in freon can
helms (and someone will have to post what those were, I just know), without
basket hilts or anything more than leather gauntlets, with only pads on my 
joints.  I remembers when gorgets were first required, and vambraces, and
elbow cops, and kidney belts.  Armor is a _lot_ more authentic today, for 
many fighters.

I remember, as Prince of Drachenwald, being introduced to Sir Gunthar; it was
his first event, he had come from Italy to Germany for it.  I remember giving
an Award of Arms to the lady who is now Seneschal of Elfsea; I said she'd done
something she hadn't.  Oh well, that wasn't what she was getting it for.

Heraldic display is more common.  A&S standards and standards of excellence
in combat are much better.  Courts are far more grand.  Events are more
elaborate.  Generally, things are much better today than they were, because
we've all tried so hard to improve things.

Wanting to go back in time is big-fish-in-small-pond syndrome.  But what a
big fish the me of today could have been then.

-- 
Viscount Galen of Bristol, KSCA, CSM, etc.
Paul Mitchell, pmitchel at flash.net / "noblesse oblige"
http://www.flash.net/~pmitchel/galen.htm