Maybe you’ve noticed them practicing at the park or you brought your kids over and asked to take a closer look at their unique armor and weapons. Whatever the case, there is a lot more to the locals engaged with Middle Ages re-enactment and armored combat than you might realize. First of all, these locals are members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), an international history society that recreates the arts and skills of pre-17th century life. Local participant Chad Gault has been an enthusiastic participant since 2005 and owns several personally hand-made suits based on 15th century Japanese armor. The combat competitions are based on the honor system and take place at full speed and deliver real blows, explains Gault. The key to everyone’s safety is that the participants adhere to the established combat rules and the weapons are made out of safe materials such as rattan, rubber, and foam. At sanctioned events, the tournaments are overseen by marshals and the battles have actual outcomes that affect the leadership and rule of the society’s kingdoms. Dane Smith of Vernal explains that Utah is part of the kingdom named Artemisia and that the Uintah Basin area is part of the shire named Dragon March. “I’ve been participating in this since I was born,” explains Smith, who wears the armor of a knight passed down from his grandfather. “The group is a lot of fun and everyone tries to help each other out. It really is like a family.” Joseph Harrison has only been involved with the group for a few weeks but says the experience has been nothing but positive for him. “I was skeptical at first but everyone has been very welcoming,” shares Harrison. “It instills a lot of comradery. You’ll never be brought down by these guys. It’s a good feeling to be here.” Gault’s 14 years of experience has found the same thing. “This is about comradery and dedication,” Gault explains. “You get out as much as you put in and we put in 110 percent.” To learn more, visit
www.artemisia.sca.org
.
