Tournament Companies Within the SCA

(a reprint of an article printed in the Chivalry Sports Rennaisance Catalogue Magazine.>Subscription is free.

Medieval Recreation takes many forms, from Renaissance Festivals to English Civil War reenactments. Within this realm of activity the Society for Creative Anachronism is undoubtedly the largest organization. But even within the SCA new groups are springing up to explore and advance certain kinds of reenactment. Tournament Companies, like guilds or clans, have their own structure and rules within the framework of the SCA. Here follows excerpts from an article by Hugh T. Knight, Jr. about one such company out of Pennsylvania that was recently printed in Chronique, the Journal of Knighthood and Chivalry.

The Company of The Knights of Saint Michael the Defender is a confraternity or tournament society patterned after similar organizations in the 14th and 15th centuries. its purpose is to bring the conduct and appearance of SCA fighting and fighters more in line with tournaments of the high middle ages. We hope to accomplish this goal by setting the example for others to follow.

The Company grew out of deep dissatisfaction some of us felt with SCA fighting. We felt that SCA fighting was unauthentic and too concerned with victory and other modern sports attitudes. Several of us were ready to quit the SCA until we attended a period tournament sponsored by the SCA group in Ithica, NY (the Dominion of Myrkfællin). That event, combined with the impetus and example set by the Company of Saint George in California, inspired us to try to make the SCA better instead of just taking our marbles and going home.

Organization

Membership in the Company is limited to members of the SCA's order of chivalry. Prospective members must have a harness (armor) which meets Company standards (more on this below), must demonstrate exemplary chivalry and courtesy, must demonstrate exemplary chivalry and courtesy, must have their arms on their shield and banner... [The Company also has associate members called Squires of the Company and Auxiliary who are not members of the SCA Order of Chivalry.]

Standards

Members of the Company must dress, arm, equip and deport themselves as befits gentlemen of arms. We feel that the only way to show others how to authentically recreate the middle ages is to practice what we preach....this means that if you have a 14th century bassinet you should have 14th century leg harness, 14th century gauntlets, etc....

Our prime standard of behavior is to place behavior above victory, chivalry above reward. We believe that as the prime coin of knighthood is renown, there is no true victory in winning unfairly, for there can be no renown without honor. We also believe that there is no glory in defeating an opponent who has no chance to win. We require courtesy be shown to ladies.

I would like to point out, however, that we do not eschew victory merely because we place honor first. Renown is derived from the display of prowess, courage and chivalry. Also, SCA fighting is a martial art and should be practiced at such. We do not agree with those who feel that SCA fighting should be "lightened up" or watered down...

Tournaments

[The Company holds two tournaments or pas d'armes a year. The events are splendid with ceremony and highly praised for their pomp and authenticity, much of it based on a period manuscript by King Rene d' Anjou.]

...At our first tournament...Duke Vissevald Selkirkson even showed up in disguise as the Champion of Bacchus with a crest of grapes, a bevy of beautiful female attendants and a half naked wild man for his herald. The tournament opened with single combat between Duke Ronald Wilmot, the appellant, and Sir Hrothgar of Farley, the defendant and one of the founders of the Company. They fought until Duke Ronald shattered Sir Hrothgar's crest, which broke to disgorge gold and jewels (candy) which was thrown to the spectators as largess. A number of combat scenarios followed, including melees, barrier fights (which proved to be most popular) and single combat.....

[The company also sponsored a passage of armes at the 22nd Great Pennsic War.] ...There was a delay in the fighting, however, because one of the members of the Company took this opportunity to come into the lists, armed, with a helm and banner carried by other members, to give his lady flowers and to ask permission to bear her favor. When she said yes, he barely managed to strangle out that he also wanted to take her as his wife, and that if she consented she was to return a single flower to him, which (amid many tears on both sides) she did.

The important business over, the fighting began with a team barrier fight against the Company of Saint George. Combat continued all through that long, hot August day. Combatants could fight...with the weapon of their choice either singly in the open or over the barrier or in teams of four over the barrier.

Combatants who won their respective bouts against us were given a silk rose to give to their consort to remind her of their prowess and honor. Comers who lost were given a rose also, but told to take it to their Queen and to tell her that we dedicated our victory to her. Certain comers who distinguished themselves by their bearing, chivalry and prowess were invited to join the Company in accepting challenges....All in all, the Company and its invitees faced 90 challengers.

The passage at arms was a tremendous success. People came up to us for the rest of the week telling us how much they enjoyed it and hoping that we would have another next year.

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This page was last updated Tuesday, 27-May-2003 13:21:28 EDT