The Kingdom of An Tir once more came to Clinton this past weekend for the Lions War.
The Lions War, organized by the Society of Creative Anachronisms, has been taking place near Clinton for over four decades under different names. This year marks the second time since the COVID-19 pandemic that knights, ladies, princes, princeps, peasants and spectators have come to watch three days of heavy fighting, rapier battles, bardic competitions and an overall celebration of the medieval ages. Princeps Jadwiga Radomyskowa, otherwise known Rayvn Schmidt, remarked the event was a lot of fun.
"I love the fact it's a war event but it's also really chill, it's a vacation and no one takes it too seriously. We all just have fun," Schmidt said. "We're all out there sweating together and that camaraderie is so great. It's real combat, not fake or abstracted. Your victories and your losses are all yours."
Throughout the weekend members of the SCA took part in several competitions and events. This included an archery and thrown weapon contest, a bardic competition and combat sports scenarios. Several dozen men and women armoured themselves and took to the field with weapons made from ratan wood and foam as they fought to determine the outcome of what Schmidt called the discussion over where the capital should lie.
As a resident of Bellingham, Washington at the very bottom of the Principality of Tir Righ, which consists of the majority of B.C. Schmidt said the Lions War was being held to determine if the capital should stay in the Shire of Thornwald or be returned to the Barony of Lionsgate in Vancouver.
"We don't have a war today, we have a discussion, and the discussion is should the capital move back or should it stay? It's all for fun," Schmit remarked.
This year's event was organized in part by Kevin Garvey, known by his SCA name Camegen MacGarvith, a 17-year veteran of the SCA from Port Coquitlam. In his mundane, or normal, life he works as a teacher and loves the educational aspect of the SCA.
"We get to play with history and learn how or why a thing was done. It's so special to me," Garvey said. "The people are incredible, this is the most welcoming, warm and inviting group I've ever participated in. If you can think of something someone did 1,000 years ago we can find somebody who wants to spend all weekend talking to you about it and teaching you how to do it."
Schmidt, in addition to being a heavy fighter and combat archer, dabbles in the arts as a medieval manuscript maker and painter. They said in their mundane life they're a graphic designer so their skills lend themselves to these arts. Schmidt added they and their spouse have always been big nerds interested in history and fantasy.
As royalty Schmidt and their spouse Prince Mikolaj Thorkelwicz, AKA Dustin Schmidt in his mundane life, have sought to promote inclusivity and awareness about historic LGBTQ+ individuals. Schmidt themselves is non-binary and chose the Princeps title over prince or princess to reflect that.
"The tagline for SCA is the Middle Ages as it should have been. One of the things we really wanted to focus on is it doesn't have to be just white European personas. We really wanted to let people feel comfortable exploring any culture that's within our purview," Schmit remarked. "Also, queer history is real history and people that are non-gender confirming and non-heteornormative have been around the entire time and we wanted to really spotlight this is historically accurate."
Garvey noted that the SCA has been running the Clinton War for decades now. He noted that the Clinton location is special as it has ample room for everyone to camp and a replica wooden castle and tavern constructed for them to use.
However, a mix of disagreements with the site owners and the pandemic put an end to the Clinton War until last year when it was revived under the name the Lions War. He said that many people expressed to him over the weekend how great it was to be back sharing their love of the SCA.
"Hopefully we will continue to be here for a very long time," Garvey said.
Anyone with an interest in history is encouraged to join their local SCA branch, Garvey said. He noted that over the last decade, the SCA has become more inclusive and welcoming, removing anything that is culturally and ethnically specific.
"When I joined the SCA it was pre-17th century Western Europe. Now it is anything before the 1600s anywhere in the world," Garvey explained. "We are promoting and encouraging that in an appreciative and not an appropriation way."
