Stranger #89

Meet Larissa G.

"I'm involved with mid evil recreation work. It's a non-profit organization called SCA. It strands for Society for creative anachronism. We take middle age ideals and bring them into the present day by recreating them. In the organization, we adopt a persona; we look how people used to dressed, and it's research based. The organization gives me a sense of community, learning and fun. It started in California in the 60's and it's international with local groups as well. The overall point I believe is an escape from modern life, and it gives the opportunity to learn. For me, it enables me to meet people that I would have never met before, and I've made a lot of friends! Society as it's own internal ranking, but with this organization, a plumber can become king. We wear costumes, buy clothes, hold meetings, and larger events with fencing and fighting, etc. It's a little bit like the Renaissance fair in a way. My member name in the organization is Lady Elizabeth Underhill!"- Larissa

If you're interested in learning more about this organization, click here: http://www.sca.org/

This is taken from their website-

What is the SCA?

"The Society for Creative Anachronism, or SCA, is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts, skills, and traditions of pre-17th-century Europe.
Members of the SCA study and take part in a variety of activities, including combat, archery, equestrian activities, costuming, cooking, metalwork, woodworking, music, dance, calligraphy, fiber arts, and much more. If it was done in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, odds are you'll find someone in the SCA interested in recreating it.

What makes the SCA different from a Humanities 101 class is the active participation in the learning process. To learn about the clothing of the period, you research it, then sew and wear it yourself. To learn about combat, you put on armor (which you may have built yourself) and learn how to defeat your opponent. To learn brewing, you make (and sample!) your own wines, meads and beers.
You will frequently hear SCA participants describe the SCA as recreating the Middle Ages "as they ought to have been." In some ways this is true – we choose to use indoor plumbing, heated halls, and sewing machines. In the dead of winter we have more to eat than King's venison, salt pork and dried tubers. However, a better description is that we selectively recreate the culture, choosing elements of the culture that interest and attract us."