ANST - Field Personnas?

[Carl Hess]

> >>>>Remaining true to your period regarding armor and weapons,  
> *and* being competitive or even excelling on the list and war field  
> -- can it be done?<<<<

> Alaric Styrr wrote:
> 
> A lot of it depends on your persona, also. It's a lot easier for  
> 12th to 14th century European personas to be "true to their period"  
> than (for example) a 8th century Celt (who would never wear that  
> much armor) or in my case, a 13th century Mongol (who's preferred  
> tactic was to shoot the enemy with a bow at range) For many of these  
> cultures, "Tournament combat" would be a completely foreign  
> concept. What I like to see (and what I am just beginning to try to  
> do myself) is someone who captures the "feel" of what their persona  
> would be waering/fighting with IF they were put in a "tourney"  
> situation. To paraphrase Sir Penadaren, I don't care if it IS  
> period, but I want it to FEEL period....

I agree completely.  SCA minimum safety rules require that we wear certain
armor that may or may not have been worn by our brothers and sisters from
period.  However, this doesn't mean that as a 6th century Celt you ought to
go out wearing German gothic plate.  You can make a lot of stuff *feel*
period without having to actually strip down and paint your body blue
before you head out onto the list field.

Although tournament combat was not foreign to my persona (ever hear of the
coliseum?), it was only done by specially trained men and women who did not
fight in wars.  The gladiators were much like movie stunt performers today.
 They used a very flashy, visually impressive form of combat that did not
have much practical application on the war field (which is part of reason
why Spartacus' revolt failed - they didn't know how to fight against
soldiers).

I too, attempt to dress and fight as my persona would if he were in a
tournament.  Maybe someday they'll allow javelins and bows on the list
field and all us Mongols, Persians, Celts and Romans can have some REAL
fun!

~Scipio
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