Beuller? ... Beuller?

[Muirghein Tarot]

Hello Yarmur
Good to meet you as well. I'm about six or seven hours north of you (I drive slow bad tires). In your area there is a large event held every year call Gadalop, held on the 28th of October at Fort Gains on Dauphin island. You can check out http://www.sca.org/ for more in your area and for a local group.
The best way to find out about the Sca is to go to one of the events and have a look around. You will meet some of the nicest people in the world in the SCA.
And sample some very good mead!
I have heard it said by more than a few people "the SCA is a social club that hosts a sporting event attended by people perfectly at home at a frat party"

ALKANE I posted to you at this link when I got home around 4:30 and now I don't see the post ???
Was having problems with my cable connection at the time it must not have come threw.
What I basically said was there is a good number of people in the Sca in central Alabama. and that we're always happy for more. We are kind of scrambling still since we lost the main camping site in Cullman but we are holding events. Check the site I put up above it can lead you to a local group.
Tarot.

 

[Yarmur]

Aye,

I browsed around the website and from what I can tell it appears I'm in the area of the Shire of the Phoenix Glade. Are your gatherings similar to a Renaissance Faire, just more elaborate. Forgive me if the comparisson is not eve close. I have been to many a faire when I lived in Nebraska and always found the experience intriguing and left with a smile on my face each time.

I will make sure I mark the 28th on my calendar and make plans to attend to check it out. It is only about a 2-3 hour drive to the West.

Sláinte,
Yarmur (chris)

 

[Muirghein Tarot]

Some people think they are some don't. I describe a weekend event to you and let you decide.
You get to site at near dusk on Friday hopefully you know where some friends are camped and can find them. If not just find an empty space your tent will fill and start unloading. most people's idea of camping involves a backpack, ours takes a U-hall! You get set up and change into some old garb, something you might not mind getting a little dirty. Then you grab your walking stick and go have a look around. You will either find old friends or make new ones as you travel threw the site. Stopping to help people get their tents set up is a good way to make friends as some of the big period pavilions take some wrestling around.
Latter after the dark has set in fires will get started and some one will start drumming. Friday nights are mostly meet and greets with people arriving till midnight or latter. You might get to bed before three in the morning.
At around 8:00 you will be woke up by the village idiot (herald) going around yelling "Oya Oya! My lords and my ladies the time is now eight o'clock! Armor inspection will begin at nine thirty!" After he has ducked the hail of empty bottles and boots he will go to the next encampment down and say the same thing like they couldn't have heard him from twenty feet away.
From this point till about dark it is similar to a ren Fair in that there is fighting, shopping and a lot of walking. There are classes in medieval life and games and arts and crafts that go on all day. The main difference in ren fair fighting and ours is ours isn't choreographed. We us rattan swords not live steel but there is a large collection of bruising handed out!
If it is a small event there will be a feast, That you have to pay extra for. O by the way there is a site fee charged for our events usually about 15$ give or take.The money goes to help pay for the camp site rental and portable castles (Big blue smelly box)
Now for the rest of the night is is a big generally loud party, with a good time to be had by all by order of his majesty.
In the morning hung over on what ever you were drinking way to much of, with maybe two, three hours sleep under your eyes you get woke up again by the village idiot (A very brave man indeed at this point)! He will tell you when you have to be off site, usually noon.
Till your packed and going threw the gate every one you have met that week end will come to give you a hug goodbye. As you drive away your already planing your next event.
Tarot

 

[Yarmur]

Sounds like a blast! Unfortuantely, I'm so tied up between two jobs that I barely have time for my family to add another hobby. I chose mead as my new hobby as it keeps me at home more.

Maybe one day, probably when I retire, I may give it serious interest. But who knows what'll be happening in 20.

Thanks for the info.

Sláinte,
Yarmur (chris)

 

[Alkane]

Hey Tarot,
Thanks for the info on the SCA. Looks pretty cool. I do have one question. Just how "kid-friendly" are the gatherings? My 2 year old would love to put on her princess dress and walk around the kingdom with everyone esle in proper garb.

 

[Muirghein Tarot]

There are kids activities during the day Saturday and sometimes into the evening Saturday night. The general site rule is under, I think it's twelve must be with an adult at all times. But some of the arts and crafts for children you can leave the child there with the person running it while you go shopping or what ever. It varies from event to event as well. I have been to some events where there are as many as twenty to thirty kids and it takes on a very family like feeling till very late into the night. However... at some events (where there hasn't been a large child presence during the day) it can get a little rowdy -think a night club on a Friday night. A lot of adults singing ,dancing, listening to music, having a good time.

No one I have ever met in the SCA would be intentionally vulgar in front of a child, but they can be as loud as any group of people how have been drinking. What is it about alcohol that makes people think every one around them is deaf as a post!

I have seen children as young as three months old to full grown teens at events and almost all of them are running,playing having a good time.
Just remember it is camping. BUGS! still remember the little girl in my Gulf Wars camp coming up to show her father the nice bug she had found. Standing there with a scorpion calmly sitting in the palm of her hand clicking it picers. Shudders.
Tarot.

 

[WRATHWILDE]

Just remember it is camping. BUGS! still remember the little girl in my Gulf Wars camp coming up to show her father the nice bug she had found. Standing there with a scorpion calmly sitting in the palm of her hand clicking it picers. Shudders.

Luckily there is only one type of Scorpion in North America that is potentially life threatening... to infants and small children, posing no threat to most healthy adults. Click on the image for more info

 

[Muirghein Tarot]

The one she had was small and black as I recall. A little bigger than a quarter.
Tarot.

 

[irishrose]

This is my 1st post on GotMead! I live in the Shire of Ardanroe, which is the Shreveport/Bossier City area in Louisiana. LA, MS, most of AR, & extreme western TN are now the Kingdom of Gleann Abhann. My & my family's 1st event was Fall Crown List in 2007 & the Kingdom just had it's 10th Crown List in Nov '09. Including before we became paying members, I have been in the SCA for just over a year (my husband was in Iraq). The SCA is where I 1st encountered mead & have since decided I wanted to make it, too!