The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG (AN TIR)-The Society for Creative Anachronism met once more at Preston Park for their annual Newcomer's Encampment. The setup of pavilions, tents and flags began Friday afternoon.

Festivities kicked off at the Bardic Circle that evening. Bards and minstrels of the SCA performed a variety of music from the Middle Ages, from sprightly Renaissance dancing tunes to beautiful, medieval choral works. No Bardic Circle is complete without poems and storytelling around an open fire.

The Newcomer's Encampment is the perfect time for curious community members to encroach upon and learn about SCA activities. The group held Opening Court Saturday morning that was attended by the baron and baroness.

The SCA is an international non-profit education society that selectively recreates pre-seventeenth-century European life.

The SCA, as in times of the Renaissance, prizes education and offers several classes that teach useful survival skills and enduring fine arts. Torvald Williamsen was on hand to instruct citizens on starting fires with flint and steel as well as nail making.

Long before mass production textile printing was an option, embroidered fabrics added value to dresses and tapestries. Fiber artist Ciosa Leonara Fioravanti taught a new generation simple stitches that can create big results.

Ulrik Gimwolf de Montazure shared techniques for making chainmail jewelry. Chainmail, historically, may have been worn as armor for protection, but is today an attractive, and custom-made accessory, proving that Medieval skills are still good ones to have.

In addition to classes, merchant stalls line the marketplace of such events. Magda McCraven's shop featured handmade period clothing and jewelry, feast gear and miscellaneous gift items.

Parties, (groups or individuals) interested in joining the SCA should pay heed to a particular time period and region.

"Anything before the 1600s," says Katherine of Akornebir (Kathy Carpenter) who teaches SCA etiquette. From there, an entire persona is created.

Once established, a member can participate in armored combat, in youth or adult heavy categories, or become an apprentice or page. There are also rapier and archery tournaments.

Winners of these tourneys are heralded for their successes and have the honor of being positively acknowledged by royalty.

One key difference between ancient battles and the SCA's contemporary versions is safety. It wasn't much a priority historically, but the SCA performs armor inspections before each tournament and fighters obey rules created to ensure a safe sparring match.

The SCA's compendium of kingdoms they call the known world spans the globe. There are even military-affiliated groups that do their rapier battles on aircraft carriers.

In short, these people know how to have fun. There's absolutely something for everyone and beautiful costumes to boot.

Our region, known as An Tir, encompasses Oregon, Washington, Northern Idaho, and British Columbia.

Already preparations are underway for the Kingdom of An Tir's West War event to be held July 3-7 in Gold Beach, Oregon. Find more information at antir.org.