Medieval Tournament Not a Spectator Event

This past Sunday, June 7, a group of Renaissance and medieval history enthusiasts donned their gowns and shiny armor, and brought their bows and arrows, swords, and axes to a farm in Rochester for the 2015 Baronial Thrown Weapons and Archery Championship.

The event, held by The Society for Creative Anachronism, was far from just a spectator event with 21st Century guests looking on as the noble lords and ladies, knights, axe throwers, and medieval archers reenacted history. No, even the guests to SCA events go medieval and dress the part to participate in creating the atmosphere of the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods.

The SCA is an international nonprofit organization “dedicated to the preservation, research and recreation of the crafts, arts, and experiences of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.”

Baroness Molly, AKA Mali Lim, and her husband, Baron Ceawlin, AKA Ken Howe, are the elected figureheads of the Southeastern Massachusetts SCA called “The Barony of Smoking Rocks.” They help organize and attend medieval events all over the South Coast, Cape Cod, and the Islands that involve armored combat demonstrations, medieval dance, brewing and winemaking, and music, among a number of other things.

The active group welcomes members of the public or anyone interested in the history of those time periods, and will even lend out costumes to newcomers who wish to try on what it feels like to submerge oneself in the history and culture.

“The name of our group, ‘Smoking Rocks,’ refers to the explorations and chronicles of English sailor Bartholemew Gosnold along the Massachusetts coastline in the 1600s,” said Lim.

A group at the University of California Berkeley founded The Society for Creative Anachronism 50 years ago, and the local group was started 40 years ago as students left California and moved to the east coast, bringing their traditions with them. Lim said the groups are scattered all over the United States and other countries abroad.

“One big event we have is in Pennsylvania in the last week of July, beginning of August,” said Lim. “Ten-thousand people attend that one. It’s two weeks of classes on different topics, staged armored battles, dancing…”

Mali said the participants and members of the group meet and perform in demonstrations, notably in schools and universities, and act in performances as volunteers who just want to share their passion for Renaissance and medieval history.

There is a Sunday meet and greet event happening on June 14 in Barnstable. If you are interested in attending or finding out more information about the group and upcoming events, contact Mali Lim at 508-863-1831, or visit the website at http://smokingrocks.eastkingdom.org.

By Jean Perry

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