ES - Lord Airaklee Wolf's moment of glory

[Spence Mabry]

Participants enjoy day filled with traditional Scottish fun 

By Tawnell D. Hobbs
Star-Telegram Staff Writer 

ARLINGTON -- As the sound of bagpipes drifted in the warm breeze, one
group of participants in the Texas Scottish Festival & Highland Games
geared up for a day of fighting. 

>From inside several tents, members of the Society for Creative
Anachronism prepared for a medieval re-enactment -- one of several
events at the festival, which continues today at the University of Texas
at Arlington's Maverick Stadium.

The members, who imitate 17th century fighters, don protective clothing,
such as handmade steel tunics, metal headgear, elbow gear and a gorget
-- a piece of metal or leather that protects the neck.

Doug Turnage, a Dallas paramedic, said fights are as realistic as
possible -- without the competitors getting hurt. If a fighter is struck
on the arm, for example, he has to act as if his arm is injured.

"The fighters have their own style of fighting," Turnage said. "I prefer
to fight with an ax and a sword." Turnage does not use a real ax and
sword, but ones made of rattan and wrapped in silver duct tape.

Turnage said injuries are rare. The most severe injury he has seen was
to himself, he said, revealing a cut on his thumb.

"I had wore gauntlets [metal gloves] that were too thin and my finger
was smashed," he said.

Members pick a figure in history to portray. Turnage, who is called
"Lord Airaklee Wolf," said his character is from early France.

The crowd seemed to enjoy his character. When Turnage stepped into the
ring, his curly brown hair cascading over his shoulders, he was greeted
with "oohs" and "aahs."

The 120-member group imitates fighters, dancers, singers and weavers.

Neil Starkey, from Irving, is a jester. His job, he said, is to
entertain.

"I juggle, balance sticks and fall over a lot," Starkey said. "I also
give five-minute juggling lessons."

Wayne Remes, of Cedar Hill, has been a member of the group for 16 years.
Remes said the group, which has members in Texas and Oklahoma, gets
together on weekends and practices for exhibitions and championships.

"We stage full-contact fights," Remes said.

The championship fight, called the Bear Pit, is not based on size,
weight or gender. The fighters form a single line. The first two in line
step in the ring, salute the crowd with their swords and then fight each
other. The winner takes on the next person in line.  The prize for the
winner is an ax.

As the audience shouts "go Bear" or "go Hangus," one contestant is
struck on the arm. Keeping with the rules, he immediately puts his arm
behind his back as if the hit had caused it to be chopped off.

Audience members said the sound of the metal seemed realistic.

"It was kind of brutal, but fun," said Ann Smith, 18, of Fort Worth. 

-- 
Spence Mabry
Director
13th Annual Bluebonnet Brew-Off 1999
March 19-20, 1999
The Country's Largest Regional HomeBrerw Competition.
http://www.flash.net/~smabry/blue.htm
<http://www.flash.net/~smabry/blue.htm> 

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