The Kingdom of AEthelmearc FAQ

What is the SCA?

What is the Kingdom of AEthelmearc?

What is the King/Queen?

What is a local group?

What is an event?

Do I have to pay to play?

What is Pennsic?

Why do some people have titles, crowns, or colored belts?

What is the SCA? The SCA is the Society for Creative Anachronism. It was founded in 1966 in Berkely, California. It is a mulit-national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and teaching about the cultures of Western Europe in the Middle and Renaissance ages. For more information, go to the website of the SCA, Inc. .

What is the Kingdom of AEthelmearc? In the SCA, a Kingdom is large regional chapter of the parent organization, SCA, Inc. Each Kingdom is very different from the next and each have distinct borders and customs. Each Kingdom is ruled by a King and Queen and have a body of officers. There are 19 SCA Kingdoms world-wide. The Kingdom AEthelmearc was founded in 1997. But before this, AEthelmearc was part of East Kingdom. Aethelemearc encompasses all of West Virginia, most of Pennsylvania, and most of Upstate New York. For a better idea of our borders you can see them on our map.

What is a King/Queen? A King and Queen are the figure heads of a Kingdom, who have the right to change policies, give awards, appoint Kingdom officers, and represent the Kingdom and it's interests. The right to be a King or Queen is gained by winning a "Crown Tournament" of SCA-styled heavy martial combat. In AEthelmearc, the winner of the Crown Tournament becomes the Prince and Princess for 6 months. They then step up at a "Coronation" event, as King and Queen for another term of 6 months. Thus, there are two crown tournament and coronation events per year. A man or woman can win the crown. Women who win are called "queens by their own right". But every crown tournament contestant must be fighting on behalf of another's honor. This person is called a "consort" and will reign as King or Queen with their winning fighter. To read about our current reigning Royals, Click here !

What are local groups? Local groups are official chartered groups of the SCA, Inc. The group members elect what kind of structure they would like to have, if they want a figure head or not, and which local offices they will have. Each of these sub-groups is beholden to the Kingdom which allows them to officially form. These local groups have bank accounts, heraldry, and a voice in Kingdom (through their officers and/or figure heads). It is on the local level that most of the weekly and day-to-day activity takes place in the SCA. Local groups do not get financial compensation from our corporate head or Kingdom. Each local group must do their own fundraising. One of the most common way groups raise funds, is through holding events. In our Kingdom, the local populace can chose to be a riding, canton, barony, shire, college, port, stronghold, provinces, or a dominion, depending on geography and population size. While it is possible to have a principality, we do not currently have any groups of this structure. To find your local group, click here!

What is an event? An event is a social-gathering sponsored by a local chapter for anyone to attend. The local group approves one or two people to rent a hall or camping site, plan a feast, and a wealth of activities. These people are called autocrats. Everyone pays to get into an event, but paid members of the Society do receive a discount. An event can host a lot of different activities and competitions, like fencing, heavy fighting, bardic circles, feasts and cooking, customing, archery, equestrian arts, thrown weapons, and youth activities and/or foam-weapon fighting. Events can be themed, such as Italian, Roman, Viking, Middle Eastern. Events can also be held for more specific reasons, like a schola event is one that has classes as the main attraction. Some events are weekend-long, while others are only for a day. Some events are at camping sites, some at hotels, local firehalls, or even historical sites. Events for our Kingdom are listed on our Kingdom Website and in our Kingdom (the AEstel) and local newsletters.

Do I have to pay to play? Everyone has to pay to get into an event. But, usually, no one has to pay anything to attend or participate in the weekly practices or meetings. These are free for anyone interested. At some point, many people will buy a membership to the SCA, Inc. There are many reasons for this. Some people buy a membership because the discounts to events are worth it. If you plan on going to Pennsic (with the pre-registration member price, which is discounted twice, once for early registration and once for being a member) and go to more than one event within the year, then you will have saved enough money to pay for a single sustaining membership. Some people buy memberships because they want to hold an office or be able to vote in local chapter elections. Some people buy memberships to recieve the Kingdom Newsletter, the AEstel. The AEstel has listings of all events within the Kingdom, articles, artwork, and contact information. For any of these reasons, you recieve all the benefits listed above. If you would like any more information about membership and prices, please check out our membership page

What is Pennsic? Pennsic is the largest SCA convention and non-lethal war in the world. It is held every year out near Slippery Rock, Pa, at Cooper's Campground, which happens to be in our Kingdom. Each year over 10,000 people come to camp at Pennsic. Many years ago, the King of Midrealm offered to fight the Kingdom of the East for the territory around Pittsburgh. For many years no one accepted. In that time the King of Midrealm stepped down, moved away to East Kingdom, and managed to win the Crown of the East. He was looking through his papers one day, and found the old call to war he had made years ago when he was King of Midrealm....and, so he, now as the King of the East accepted it! So, the location was chosen. East and Midrealm battled long and hard over Pittsburgh. The loser agreed to take charge of what is now called "the debateable lands" (the Pittsburgh area) for a year, and it was agreed they would meet again next year to decide who would take Pittsburgh, the debateable lands. The name Pennsic means Penn's war. But is called Pennsic, in the tradition of naming used for Crusade-period battles. For more information about Pennsic, include prices, dates, and actvities, click here!

Why do some people have titles, "crowns", or colored belts? Titles are awards of merit and/or skill bestowed by the King and Queen unto an individual for their active participation in the SCA. Baronies and Principalities can also give awards to individuals, but they cannot bestow award titles (unless specifically requested to by the reigning Royals. For instance, a King or Queen cannot seem to be at the same event an award recipient attends in a goodly amount of time).

The first level of award, on a Kingdom level, is the Award of Arms (the AoA, for general participation), the Keystone (for service and autocrating), the Sycamore (for Arts and Sciences and teaching), and the Alce (for fighting). With any of these awards you are a Lord or Lady of the Realm, and you are allowed to display your personal SCA heraldry.

The second level of awards, the Grant of Arms,include, the White Scarf (for fencing), the Scarlet Guard (for archery), the Gage (for heavy fighting), the Millrind (for Service), the Fluer (for Arts, Science, and teaching), the White Horn (for other martial activities), and all court Baroncies. Baroncies are afforded the titles of "Excellency", "Baron" or "Baroness". The Grant of Arms, generally, allows you to have the title of "The Honorable Lord/Lady" or "THL" for short. These awards, generally speaking, are given for showing leadership within your field and for being well-known outside of your local chapter for knowledge of one or more aspects of SCA life.

The Patent of Arms is the final level of award, this includes: the Pelican for service, the Knight for combat training, the Laurel for Arts, Sciene, and teaching, usually all Kings and Queens who are stepping down, and the order of the Rose for Royal consorts. Pelicans and Laurels take the title of Master or Mistress and are allowed to diplay the colors and symbols of their order. Knights do not take the title of Master/Mistress. They take the title of Sir. They wear a white belt, a metal chainmail chain around their neck, and sometimes spurs. A Count and Countess is a couple who have won Crown once and stepped down. A Duke and Dutchess is a couple who have been King and Queen more than once. Generally, the patent level of award recipients are known as Peers of the Realm, or simply, Peers. Royal Peers (people who are King or Queen or a representative there of) are also allowed to wear crowns or coronets (this includes Landed Barons and Baronesses, and Principality Princes or Princesses, but the style of crown/coronet is different than that of a former or current King or Queen or their Royal Heirs).

Generally speaking, most award recipients will be called before the King and/or Queen during a court (or a representative of the Crown) and will be presented before the assembled populace and spoken of by the Crown. The Royals will speak of the person's deeds, and why the recipient has cuaght their attention. The recipient is usually presented a scroll. A scroll is a hand-painted and calligraphed work of art, with words of the King and Queen scriven on it. Sometimes a token of the award order is also given, most commonly a medallion.

For the Patent level awards of the Knight, Pelican, and Laurel, each Peer is charged to take on the training of another person(s) in their particular field. Knights will take "men at arms" and "squires" and present them with red belts. The Apprentice of the Laurel will get a green belt. Proteges of a Pelican will receive a yellow belt. These are highly personal and sometimes intense training periods and relationships. If the relationship and training are satisifactory, in time, the Master or Mistress should present their apprentice/squire/protege to their respective order for elevation to Peer status. These award levels are given, mostly, by election of the order populace (a polling order), and not, usually, by any one person (there are stories of Kings and Queens, spontaneously asking people to think about becoming a member of an order, but this is unusual). When there is consensus among the order and the reigning Royals agree, that person is asked to "sit vigil" for a certain amount of time, usually at an event. At vigil, the person receives visitors with words of wisdom, advice, and is generally asked to consider the responsibilities of becoming a Peer.