[Ansteorra] what falls within period

[Elizabeth Ellis]

 Thank goodness those that govern the SCA realize that many of us have interests outside of the preferred focus of the organization (that being the Western European Middle Ages).    As such, the Handbook of the SCA indicates that "most of the world, and all the centuries prior to the 17th" are open for research by the membership.  Diverse interests are additionally protected because branches are not allowed to restrict themselves according to specific times and places, thus allowing our members to pursue their own particular interests. While the SCA clearly encourages a focus on the European Middle Ages it most certainly does not require it, and in fact protects the rights of it's members to explore other areas. If it were not for the foresight of the people who have worked on the Handbook over the years, the SCA would be a far poorer (and much less colorful) place because it would be without the multitudes of devotees who embrace cultures from a variety of eras and places,
 including Norse, Middle Eastern, Japanese, Chinese, Mongol, Eastern European, Russian, Anglo Saxon, Greek, Roman, Celtic, Romano-Brit, Sythian, etc. etc. etc.
   
  Mistress Corrinne

  

The avowed purpose of the SCA is the study and recreation of the European 
Middle Ages, its crafts, sciences, arts, traditions, literature, etc. The 
SCA "period" is defined to be Western civilization before 1600 AD, 
concentrating on the Western European High Middle Ages.