A lot of what we do in the SCA involves the appearance of
things. For instance, the clothing that we wear to events helps to identify the
actors and create an atmosphere of another time and place. Our fighters try to
look the part on the field, by creating armor that is shiny and fighting
clothing that is colorful. We like to do things like dance period dances and
play period games.
These things, much like a play, allow us to imagine, even
for a few hours – if imperfectly – that we are actually medieval people in a
medieval world. Clothing and activities that transport us to another time and
place have a lot to do with the success of an event. A few times, that success
might be so sublime that we experience what people call the “medieval moment” –
a feeling of reality that transcends the play.
The environment that we perform this play in is also a part
of that success. We dress up event spaces to keep them from being glaringly
modern; we are building the set for the play. In many ways, our backdrop is the
costume that the environment wears. That’s why many of us make canvas sun flies
rather than E-Z Ups, use medieval-looking chairs instead of aluminum-frame camp
chairs, and dress up our environment with colorful banners.
Not everyone does this; no one starts out this way.
Participating at this level is, frankly, a substantial drain of money, time,
and transportation and storage space to maintain. Especially at the current
time, most families have other pressing drains on their resources. However, at
some time in their SCA career, most people decide to improve their “kit”. For
most of us, this doesn’t happen overnight or even in the space of a single
camping season. If we look at achieving a period camp as a process rather than
a project, it becomes less overwhelming and more manageable.
What is
high(er)-fidelity?
The concept of high-fidelity is widely practiced outside the
SCA by other re-creation and re-enactment groups. In short it means that
participants, gear, clothing and activities will subscribe to a minimum
standard for participation and inclusion. When all participants work toward a
set of standards, they find that they can become immersed in the experience,
and achieve a greater level of understanding of the time period that they are
studying. Although high fidelity groups are found through historical
re-creation, high-fidelity 14th-15th century groups of
note include:
- Company of St. George (US)
- Companie
Saynte George (
- La Belle Compagne
Although the SCA does not subscribe to standards, some of us
like to work towards higher-fidelity in our persons and camps. We see
“authenticity” as a process, working toward continual quality improvement
within the resource limits of time, finances, and quality.
Resources:
- Time – time to make gear, finance purchases, time involved in setting up and taking down
- Finances – purchasing gear and supplies, resources to haul and store gear
- Quality of gear – i.e. increasing quality over time
Working toward a
(More) Period Encampment
Our “standard” is actually pretty simple:
Your equipment, attire and behavior should not be obviously or unnecessarily out of period.
For instance, while a period-style cotton canvas tent using
2x4 supports is not “obviously out of period”, nylon, modern camping “sling”
chairs, and Coleman lanterns are
obviously out of period, and unnecessarily so because there are very good
reasonable period versions available of fabrics, seating and lighting.
More importantly, we expect that participants bring a sense
of the magic that can happen in a period camp, and to make an effort to behave
with courtesy to your fellow campers. This means being polite to folks, and
part of that politeness is that participants and visitors will wear appropriate
clothing, maintain a reasonably period campsite, and behave appropriately.
The generally-accepted standards for participating in a
period encampment are as follows:
People
Attire
·
Make a reasonable attempt at period clothes.
Wool and linen are fantastic, but not mandatory. For those who are sensitive to
wool, acrylic that is not obviously modern may be a necessary substitution. Try to remember to
include head coverings and shoes that are either period or not obviously
inconsistent.
·
Don’t wear, show, or talk about the non-medieval
items on your person. Eye glasses and crutches are necessary and modern. Unless
you bring attention to them, we will treat those sorts of items as invisible.
Don’t wear your watch. Decant your Coke into a mug. We don’t care about your crimson
boxer briefs with the laurel wreath on them, unless you decide to show them
off.
·
If you find your way to the camp in the dark
using your flashlight or your Coleman lantern, either bring a cover or leave it
just outside the camp.
Behavior
·
Pretend to be medieval people when in the camp.
Go about medieval activities – cook, scrub chemises, weave trim, make shoes,
practice sword fighting, play games, sing and play music, etc. – as both period
activities and as a foundation to offer informal classes or demonstrations.
Invite people to watch, make, do, or otherwise participate in what we’re
working on. Ask questions about how a thing is made or done, gossip, and
compliment parents on their charming children. Tell stories, offer a taste your
mead or cyser, debate the merits of various rissoles.
·
Avoid:
o
discussions of “periodness”, or what “they”
might have done. Couch discussions in means that ask for and deliver
information in the first person.
o
discussions of SCA administrivia, such as
heraldic submissions, blue cards, the fourth peerage, or what the BoD did at
the last meeting.
o
non-period topics, such as your job situation,
your favorite Android apps, or the Steampunk group that you’re a part of back
home.
Camp furnishings
- Your
camp should be a re-creation of artifacts and representations from
- Conceal non-period items or materials in some fashion; coolers enclosed in chests, trash bags inside covered baskets, propane stoves and modern lighting inside closed pavilions.
- Your camp furnishings should be maintained in good repair.
- Be consistent in style per place and time – try not to combine a Renaissance Italian chair with a Viking a-frame tent.
- Avoid cooking new-world foods (tomatoes, corn, squashes, turkeys, coffee) and anything requiring baking powder or baking soda in “public”; situate propane stoves and coffee pots inside a closed tent.
- Be subject to constant improvement – “more period” better meets the goals of the Period Encampment.
Strategies for
Continual Quality improvement, or how to best use the available resources
In most high-fidelity camps, substitutions are acceptable as
long as the impression is not inconsistent with period style or effect. Here
are some strategies that have worked well for camp improvements.
- Hide – Cover modern items.
1.
Cover modern items – chairs, ice chests - with
table cloths or throws. Thrift stores are good sources for coverings. (This
does usually not meet the criteria of most high-fidelity camps.)
2.
Keep modern items inside a closed period
pavilion. As modern items are replaced by period items, more of the interior of
the tent can be visible from outside. Hang curtains inside the tent to hide
your shower, modern kitchen, laptop computer and coffee pot with the solar
power supply.
3.
Rubbermaid totes (storage) can hide under the
bed and behind a bedspread.
4.
Create fabric walls to hide modern tents or
gear.
- Disguise – Modern conveniences disguised as period artifacts.
1.
Ice chests can be disguised inside a wooden box.
2.
Tall whicker hampers make excellent trash cans,
when a black plastic bag is secured inside it.
FYI, the disguise strategy is not
universally accepted in high-fidelity groups. The rationale is that continuing
to depend upon modern conveniences does not equate to a medieval experience.
However, one could justifiably argue that extremes on either side of this fence
all have negative consequences.
- Periodize - Gradually replace modern items with period items that are affordable at the time that they are needed.
1.
Replace McDonald’s lunches with period foods.
2.
Purchase good tablewares. Some are as simple as
visiting the local thrift store; some can be found on E-Bay; still others you
may need to commission or make plans to buy at a War.
3.
Learn new skills to embellish your camp;
woodworking, tentmaking, and blacksmithing are always in demand and can be
bartered for the things that you need.
An open pavilion should be a
recreation of period style or impression, and any modern items must be tucked
away (i.e. Rubbermaid totes can hide under the bed and behind a bedspread, but
should not be simply covered and otherwise visible.) A closed pavilion is fine for concealing your
shower, modern kitchen, laptop computer and coffee pot with the solar power
supply.
- Compromise – At some point reality dictates function
1.
Although silk and linen are period-appropriate
tent materials, cotton canvas is perfectly acceptable.
2.
If you’re working on projects use modern
tools/equipment and supplies only if a period version isn’t readily available
or keep the modern parts tucked out of sight.
3.
Tallow candles may be period but modern
self-trimming candles provide the same sort of light.
4.
Toothpaste, showers and chemical toilets are good things.
Some notes on politeness and hospitality, or what we’re not going to do
In general, we want visitors and
participants in the Period Encampment to feel comfortable; we will welcome you
with politeness and hospitality and do our best to help you feel like a
Medieval person. To that end, we’re not going to:
- critique your clothing or gear. Not only is it not polite, but Medieval people would have had no concept of Medieval vs. non-Medieval. We’re not going to gasp over someone’s use of purchased trim over tablet-woven. We don’t care about your underwear or your air mattress unless you chose to show them off or tell us about them. Machine-sewn clothing is perfectly fine; we’re not going to take off authenti-points if you wear Byzantine clothing and sing like a 14th century troubadour.
- expect you to leave behind your glasses, crutches, or wheelchair. Unless you draw attention to them, items that are used for health and safety are treated as invisible. While you might wrap up a cast in a linen cover to hide it, it’s not mentionable unless someone asks about it, in which case discussing breaking one’s wrist is perfectly period. (Just not that insurance only paid 80% of the hospital visit.)
- require you to quote persona stories, know who the pope is, or be able to tell us how much a loaf of bread costs. We might ask you whether the apples were plentiful this year, or if your lord husband did well in the lists today.
How to be a part of a Period Camp
In short, come and enjoy what
we’re doing, and we can all work on this part of The Dream together. You don’t
have to pitch a tent; just come and hang out. Period camps most often happen at
multi-day events where there is adequate time for the considerable setup
required. Companie Golden Lyon will be participating in or sponsoring camps at
Estrella and Battlemoor.
Please contact Companie Golden
Lyon members if you want to participate, are unsure about participating, or
have any questions, comments, or suggestions.
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