Story and photos by Amanda Fruehauf

He is dead.  With arms sprawled out in surrender, Jonathan McFarland lay flat on his back with
his shield and sword flanking his sides.  Sweat rolls under his pointed, battle-battered helmet that
has seen war for nearly 15 years, but now it rests on the ground in defeat.  His body is motionless,
but in less than five seconds, McFarland is back on his feet, ravenous for more.

McFarland has been killed many times before when training for battle. That is, ever since he became
a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).  The SCA is a
world-wide organization with more than 30,000 members dedicated to researching and recreating
the pre-seventeenth century of the Medieval Period.  Established 60 years ago, the group
is educational, family oriented, and open to anyone who is interested in fighting or studying the
arts and sciences of medieval times.

Commonly confused with Live Action Role Play (LARP), the SCA has other priorities.  “LARP is
basically dungeons and dragons,” seven-year SCA member Brain Womer says.  “We’ve brought back
all the [medieval] arts, like blacksmithing, arrow fletching, tent making, mead making, clothes
making, and so on.  If it was done back in the time, we reintroduced it to society.  LARP does
not do that—for them, it is just a game, and they use foam swords.” 

 Participating regions throughout the world have been split into nineteen kingdoms that
cover thousands of square miles and abode several subdivisions.  The North Country falls in the
East Kingdom and houses the Shire of Coldwood, which covers all of Clinton and part of
Essex County.  There are around 45 members in the Shire of Coldwood ,who pay $30 for a
yearly membership that covers food and insurance costs and allows for discounts at certain events.

“We've brought back all the arts like blacksmithing, arrow fletching, tent making, mead making,
clothes making, and so on."

Local events are held a few times per year in Peru, N.Y., at the Coldwood Estate, a reconstructed representation of a Viking longhouse set back
in the woods.  Following white signs shaped like shields with red ‘SCA’ lettering on back roads, members arrive dressed in medieval style, ready to
pitch their tents, eat, drink, fight, and have a good time. 

Their black and red tents stretch high and encompass the estate while the middle of the property is used for fighting; it is a place where clangs of
weapons and muffled shouts weaving through the trees can be heard.  Scents of Viking meals can also be detected, as two huge racks of meat
sizzle over a crackling fire to complement homemade soups and a favorite side dish, honeyed carrots.  Those uninterested in fighting visit the
archery field or pick up medieval arts and crafts.  Once a member sheared a sheep, spun and dyed its wool, and made clothes completely from
scratch, using only medieval techniques.  Other activities include weapon making, as Coldwood members make a majority of their weapons.

Jessica Wyser (left) must fight on her knees after suffering a leg shot from Brian Womer (right). She has been training to fight since May 2011.

Womer has made 39 sets of armor and hundreds of swords, which take him only 10 minutes to
make, since he has done it so frequently.  SCA swords are three pounds—the average weight
from medieval times—and are made from rattan, which is related to bamboo. “The reason we use
this is because the core is a mesh,” McFarland says. “So when it breaks, it doesn’t splinter to
sharp edges.  It really is the safest material to use.”

Two golden dragons trace down the side of Womer’s blue helmet; their tails curl down to the frontal
facial area, revealing a curly beard.  He bought his helmet online for $400, but after these
"intimidating" alterations, it is now worth $1200. A basic helmet can be purchased online for $99,
but Coldwood members aren’t expected to spend any money on weaponry because a lot of it is made

or passed down.

Their weapons are put to use every Tuesday when members from the Shire of Coldwood meet for a
two-hour fighting practice at the Plattsburgh Salvation Army. “We practice for events, tournaments,
and for different things of that nature,” Womer says. “We practice styles of command so people
are well-versed, but the biggest reason we practice is to maintain safety standards. If we take
someone who has never done it before and throw them into a big fighting tournament, they are gong
to get hurt.”

The main event they train for is the Pennsic War, a two-week long event in Pennsic, Penn., where around 10,000 people from the East and
Middle Kingdom meet for battle. The first week consists of nearly 200 medieval arts and science classes, with a different class taught every
hour in around 17 large tents. Classes continue into the second week as large melee battles and tournaments begin.

Any jab to a limb during battle results in the loss of use to that limb.  If both legs and both arms are hit, a member is declared dead, while body and
head shots and considered instant kills.  Shots aren’t always accounted for, however, as hundreds of people play at a time.  “It’s an
honor-based system, but unfortunately, people cheat,” Womer says. “They are only hurting themselves.”   

At fighting practice on Tuesday nights, Womer trains and ensures that members follow the rules, such as no tackling, punching, or hitting below
the knees.   Members also practice muscle memory, where they throw the same shot multiple times, building a technique and teaching the brain and
body how to throw a shot.

“It's addicting. I always liked this kind of stuff, and when I saw someone with a helmet, I asked them
what it was about and badgered them to let me come to practice."

“Throw a complete snap on Camden’s helmet as hard and quick as you possibly
can,” Womer yells to member Jessica Wyser. In an instant, she turns her hips and
swings at Camden Ellis, a loud clang echoing from his helmet. “That’s why our helmets
are made so stiffly, so when you do get hit in the head or body, the armor is made
to absorb that impact so nobody gets hurt,” Womer says. “We are safe. It may not look
it when we are fighting, but we actually are.”

Wyser has been fighting since May and is one of the few women who actually do.
“I would rather fight,” she says. “It’s addicting. I always liked this kind of stuff, and
when I saw someone with a helmet, I asked them what it was about and badgered
them to let me come to practice. If I had known about it earlier, I would have been
doing it a long time ago. I plan on doing it for a very long time.”

If you lived in the Medieval Period, what persona would you choose?
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