We are a branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), a worldwide organization of people interested in recreating European History from the 6th century through to the 16th century. Not only are we interested in European history, but we also have members who are interested in Middle Eastern or Asian history.
The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) has groups in Australia, New Zealand, the United States of America, Canada and Europe. Within Australia we have groups in every State Capital and in other major cities. The Barony of Saint Florian de la Riviere is based in South Brisbane, and stretches down to just before Logan and near Oxley.
The SCA attempts to recreate history in a way that makes it fun. We ignore the poverty, the plagues and famines, and instead concentrate on fighting, feasting, researching, and making “medieval stuff”. One of the great advantages of our group is that, as we are very broad in our area of interest, it allows people to recreate nearly any area of interest from that period.
St Florian is a very social group, having three different meetings a week and having at least one special event a month. This often takes the form of a feast, a tourney or a war. You are not expected or required to attend these weekly meeting or special events. You can pick and choose what you want to go to. The level of involvement within the group varies with every individual member.
Many newcomers feel intimidated by attending their first meeting or feast. However there is no reason to feel uncomfortable, as a newcomer such as you is the lifeblood of the SCA. The more people who are members of St Florian, the more fun we all can have. You will find that we are very happy to help any newcomer with any questions. However, it may help if we explain some of the traditions and behaviours expected of everyone within the group at feasts and other events.
When we are at a SCA event, we will adopt a different name than our normal name. We call this our Persona. We do not assume the name of any particular person who lived in history, but amalgamate names from history and names that could have been. We will then work out a history for our persona and this will allow us to get an image of what our persona would have done in history. What this allows us to do is to distance ourselves from our everyday life and assume for a small time period a different character out of history.
Regardless of your persona, everyone in the SCA is assumed to be minor nobility at least, and should be treated with courtesy. To this end we refer to each other as my lord or my lady. As we are recreating the medieval ages, we have an internal ranking system.
While many people have other titles, if you are unsure of the correct term to use it is always acceptable to use the title my lord or my lady.
At the top are the King and Queen. They win their position in a Crown Tournament and rule a kingdom for three months. No one is higher than them in the kingdom and at every feast will be toast their health. Beneath them are the Prince and Princess. They are chosen at a Coronet Tournament and for six months they rule a principality in the name of the King and Queen. It is a great honour and burden to be a King, Queen, Prince or Princess. Ranked beneath them are the Peers of the Realm.
These are individuals who have either served as Royalty, or are people who are recognised as experts in a field, or have given great service the Kingdom. Those people who have served as Royalty are given the title of Viscount, Viscountess, Count, Countess, or Duke and Duchess. Each of these titles has a special meaning within the SCA. Those people who represent the highest levels of chivalry and Heavy Combat on the field are called Knights and use the title Sir or Master of Arms before their name. This title is non- gender specific. Those people who represent the highest levels of chivalry and expertise in the Arts and Sciences are called Laurel, and use the title Master or Mistress before their name. Those people who represent the highest levels of chivalry and have given great Service to the Kingdom are called Pelicans, and use the title Master or Mistress also. All of these people are held in high regard because of their excellence in their relevant field.
While all these titles may be confusing to you initially when you attend a feast, do not be afraid to talk to people and ask questions. We are always happy to answer questions you may have.
When wishing to attend an event, the first thing to do is to contact the Autocrat of the event and book. The Autocrat is the person responsible for the running of the event. They will ask you some questions about dietary requirements if applicable and ask if you need to borrow some clothes for the event. If you do need to borrow clothes or feasting gear, they will arrange this with the Hospitaller. The Hospitaller is responsible for helping newcomers such as you.
When attending a feast, just remember that the SCA is a group that values chivalry above all, and displaying basic courtesy will go a long way.
At the feast there will normally be several dishes brought out during the night. These will be brought out on platters and plates of various sizes. Be aware that the plates in front of you will be feeding your table, so don’t assume that the plate in front of you is just for you. Try a little of everything that is brought out, it’s the best way to enjoy the food.
Fighting with St Florian de la Riviere
Within the Society for Creative Anachronism, we have three different forms of fighting: armoured combat where opponents throw blows at each other (we refer to this as Heavy Combat); armoured combat where opponents shoot arrows or throw axes at each other (we refer to this as Light Combat); or Fencing. Each of these have a specific set of rules which ensure that personal safety is considered at all times.
Fighting within the SCA is a full contact sport, and we have special rules governing our weapons, armour and rules of engagement. The most obvious difference between the SCA and other medieval groups is that we do not play with real metal swords. Instead, we use swords made of wood, called rattan. These differences are also noticeable in Light Combat where the arrows we fire at each other have a rubber stopper (we call it a blunt) at the end rather than a metal arrowhead.
Fighting normally occurs under two sets on rules: tournaments and wars.
A tournament is fought upon the list field, where combatants will face each other until there is a victor. This is done with pageantry, chivalry and skill. Tournaments are run fairly often and are fun to watch and to participate in.
Wars occur every couple of months on average across the country. Wars are big events with people coming from interstate and overseas to take part. It is common in Australia for wars to have 200 people aside. There are wars in the United States that have over two thousand people on each side.
While our displays of fighting in its three different forms attract much attention, the Society for Creative Anachronism also boasts a strong and vibrant Arts and Sciences base. Within the Barony of St Florian de la Riviere we have large numbers of skilled artisans in a number of interesting and varied fields. Amongst the skills that our members display are:
While this is only a small list in comparison many of the fields that are available for research within our time period, you will find in St Florian that we have a large number of members who are multi- talented.
We encourage newcomers to the group to talk to us about what interests them, and you will find that we are very happy to pass on what knowledge we have. This can either be by chatting to you, suggesting books to read on the topic, or more often, sitting down and showing you an example of the item and helping you to make it.
For information about our regular meetings.
Please note:
This is not an official publication of the SCA nor does it delineate SCA policies. The guide was written by Gabriel de Beaumont, proofed and formatted by Nicolas bawcock of Petersfield & Constanzia Moralez y de Zamora. Any problems with the guide should be directed to Gabriel de Beaumont.