[Ansteorra] Query...

[Chris Zakes]

At 02:52 PM 5/10/02 -0700, you wrote:

(snip)

>So...why did you join and why do you stay in the SCA?
>
>Lorraine DeerSlayer


I first met the SCA over the point of a sword. Literally.

This was in March of 1975; my residential college at Rice University was
having its annual Shakespeare Fair, and one of the College officers had a
sister who was in the SCA, so they were invited out to add some color. At
that time I was in the Rice Fencing Club, and the rather battered
rattan-and-duct tape swords the SCA was using looked awfully big and clunky
to me, so I didn't go over and check them out.

I *had* planned a choreographed duel with a friend from the fencing club,
so I was wearing a sort of a costume and carrying a sword. After the duel,
I was wandering around the fair when I ran across another guy from the
fencing club. He challenged me, and I managed to beat him.  I had just
stepped back and half-jokingly said "Next?" when this short, red-haired
fellow, wearing what looked like a rusty pine cone suit said "I'll fight
you, what are your weapons?" I was carrying a fencing saber and had a
costume dagger on my belt, so, straight out of "Hamlet", I said "rapier and
dagger".

We fought for a minute or two, and I quickly realized that while my saber
was quite a bit faster than his weapon, the blade was so flexible that he
couldn't feel my touches through his scale armor. I went ahead and let him
hit me and ended up on my back in a mud puddle.

*That* was my introduction to the SCA.

(About seven months later I actually went to a tournament, and was hooked.
I can recall just sitting at home and grinning for several hours
afterwards. I've been playing ever since.)


Why do I stay in? Well, to quote Robert Heinlein, "It beats the hell out of
card games." <G> Like many other SCA-folk, I've been reading fantasy for
most of my life, and the SCA gives me an opportunity to actually *live*
some of that neat stuff rather than just read about it. I've been
interested in Shakespeare since I first read "Julius Ceasar" in 7th grade,
and the SCA gives me a chance to live some of that, too.


Oh, yes, the fellow with whom I had the choreographed duel is now known as
Robin of Gilwell; my opponent in the scale armor was Lloyd von Eaker.

 	-Tivar Moondragon