Q: Hi Lord Aidan!  A friend told me about the SCA and how you re-create Medieval fighting.  Is this all you do?  I am VERY interested and would like to know everything about the SCA.  Is this the same as a Renaissance Faire? - Sir Asks A Lot in Camelot.

A:     Greetings Sir Asks A Lot!  The SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms) is, in short, a living history group.  We are dedicated to the study and recreation of European history between the 7th and 17th Centuries.  We research and participate in various activities of the Middle Ages, such as archery, cooking, dancing, fiber arts and metalworking.  These activities and others are known as Arts and Sciences (or A&S).  We also recreate martial activities like Combat Archery, Fencing, Heavy Fighting and Siege Weapons.  Our Fighters train and practice in historical fighting styles.  Our goal is to represent the past as accurately as possible.  This is what separates us from the Renaissance Faire, which centers on entertaining, much like a theatre group.

                                                   ~ Lord Aidan the Hostile, Castellan of Shire of Blak Rose

Magdalena’s Book Review

By Pani Magdalena Gdanska

Book:  Alfred the Great

Author:  Justin Pollard

I saw this book in the new book section of my local library.  I have recently begun researching the Saxon culture and figured this book was a good start.  First, let me say, I am learning about the Saxon culture.  I am in no way an expert.  The following opinions are my opinions of the book as reading material; not a statement on the historical accuracy of the book.  I will leave that to the Saxon experts.

The book starts with a fire at the Cotton Library.  The significance of this is in proving the authenticity of the sources of Alfred’s story.  You do get some glimpses into Anglo Saxon society.  By the ninth century, women did not rule with their husbands as queens, in fact they did not carry the title of Queen.  They were merely consorts to the king and not mentioned very much in the histories. 

But women citizens did have rights in Saxon society, in fact, more rights than under Norman rule.  Their property stayed their own, and did not go to their husbands or fathers.  The bride price and morning after price went to the woman.  If a woman was raped, damages would be paid to her.

At this point in English history, England was divided up into smaller kingdoms running along dynastic lines.  There was plenty of inter-dynastic fighting.  This is one reason it was easy for the Vikings to get a foothold in England.

For the most part, I enjoyed reading this book.  There may be parts that you have to wade through especially the discussions of battles.  One characteristic I did not like was the almost glowing manner the author used when talking directly about Alfred.  The first time I noticed this was when Alfred was sent to Rome by his father at a very young age. 

On page 58, he is described as an infant.  On page 63, as not more than a toddler.  His age is given as 4 years of age.  Yet when Alfred returned home not even a year later, he was “quizzed” by many prominent people.  Page 66 mentions Alfred’s Travellers tales.  I find it hard to believe that a 4 or 5 year old could describe what he did and saw in Rome.  Because of this, I wondered while reading, how much of the reset of the book I could trust as factual.  This is a book on Alfred the Great.  The only English king to earn that title.  I would have preferred that the author would have told the story of Alfred and le the facts stand on their own merit. 

I did enjoy reading this book, and I learned much from it.  However, until I hear from someone more knowledgeable than myself, I would regard it as biographical fiction.

Dear Castellan Continued from page 6