The Wake

Ignore the script. Imagine that Marty McFly and his comrade Doc Brown, wacky inventor of the plutonium-powered, time-traveling DeLorean, could have traveled to any time period.

Are you picturing them blundering around in the Middle Ages? If so, you might just be a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), also called “The College of Tor Aerie.” The student organization has been reenacting and researching the Middle Ages for over 20 years.

“If there’s something that was done in the Middle Ages or medieval times, you can find someone [in the SCA] who does it,” explains Breena Stanton, the group’s president (in medieval terms, she is Seneschal, Breena of Tor Aerie).

The group of about 15 students and friends meets weekly for various activities like crafts, dressing up, dancing, and fighting pre-17th century European-style. (Actually, any country Europe had contact with during the time period is also fair game). They invite guest speakers to meetings as well—a lecture on leprosy last semester was especially appreciated, Stanton says.

“My favorite part [of SCA] is learning about historical music,” says Mary Jane Thillen, a third year math major. Thillen has been involved with the SCA since her sophomore year in high school, since it isn’t just a campus club. “People raise their kids in it,” she says.

SCA is an international non-profit group for people of all ages, with over 24,000 official members worldwide. In the medieval spirit, the SCA has a feudal-like structure. The university’s College of Tor Aerie is a branch of the Barony of Nordskogen, which includes all of the Twin Cities and in turn is a part of the Kingdom of Northshield. The Kingdom of Northshield includes much of the upper-Midwest and some of Canada.

Naturally, there is a king and queen, who achieve royalty by winning a tournament. All members, even those who are not royalty or nobility, take on a name from the Middle Ages.

Through the larger group, the College of Tor Aerie is invited to big events like medieval feasts, classes on manners and skills and combat tournaments. Some SCA members are trained in the art of medieval battle. For safety, they sport real armor and scrap with rattan (fake) swords.

“We’re all here for the same reason—to play this game,” explains Margaret Broz, a sixth-year SCA member and a Ph.D. student. One of her favorite parts of the SCA is the “different sort of feeling to the way people act. There’s a sense of courtesy and chivalry,” she says.

The College of Tor Aerie is currently planning their annual major reenactment event, a dance seminar, tentatively scheduled for April 29th. The affair will be held in Coffman Memorial Union, and will feature live music, dance lessons and a ball. Guests will, of course, don medieval garb (costumes). The group will invite university students as well as members of the SCA from outside of the university community.

Participation with the SCA is free, but official membership is $35. Only members can become officers and receive training and authorization as a fighter.

Note: Unlike in the ’80s flick Back to the Future, the SCA does not literally travel through time. Opting to enjoy mock Middle Ages, they skip out on the plague, pass on heinous torture and sidestep religious persecution.

The SCA meets Mondays at 7 p.m. in the Boardroom on the third floor of Coffman Memorial Union. Newcomers are welcome and more information can be found at www.tc.umn.edu/~sca/.