Click Here to go back to Flinthyll Quinquatria 2004 Event Page

Link to original article: http://www.dailydem.com/articles/2004/03/29/news/news1.txt

First-ever event transports its participants to medieval times

Chris Faulkner/Staff Writer

Micheal Crichton's book-turned-into-movie "Timeline" featured a group of historians who are shown a time machine that transports them back to 14th century France.

Knights in shining armor, a different style of clothing and a lack of technology present a whole new world to the main characters.

Until such a contraption is actually invented, the folks of the Society for Creative Anachronism will have to settle for making their own little Middle Ages world.

One of the more recent branches added to the SCA is in Burlington and is known as the Incipient Shire of Flinthyll.

That group was host to its first medieval re-enactment event last Saturday at Roling Hall. The public was invited to attend from 1 to 3 p.m. to see various displays of music, crafts and fighting representative of the period.

But the actual event went from morning until evening, complete with a feast, a court session and a party.

Recreating history

The Middle Ages is considered to be between 600 and 1600 A.D., and the SCA branches focus on the Western European life during that time period.

"The goal of the group is to recreate Medieval society," said Morgan Toal of Burlington.

The re-enactment events are similar to buckskinner rendezvous, just held in a different time period.

Although the staged battles and fights in the yard behind Roling Hall proved an entertaining part of the event, Toal said the day was more than just about the fighting.

"Some of my friends are woodworkers," Toal said, "some are into painting, some are brewers.

"We like to keep the good things about the Middle Ages, such as honor, chivalry, the arts and sciences," he said.

Bruce "Murdoch" Lapham (those participating have medieval nicknames) echoed those sentiments.

"People often hear about the chivalry and the honor, but we really live it," Lapham said.

At a large event in Kansas City, Lapham found $1,000 worth of armor left behind after the day's festivities. "I moved it someplace else and immediately called around," Lapham said.

"Everybody carries money in pouches," he said, but any found pouches are immediately turned in."

This extra care especially goes for the children participating.

"I'm a single dad," said Art "Arthur" Smith of Des Moines, "and I like the fact that (his daughter Stephanie) has got 100 parents around here." While he participated in the fighting, Stephanie was playing an old-fashioned game similar to checkers called "draughts" with David Brown of Cedar Rapids.

Although his name at the moment was David Brown, it was "Godric Regenwealdesunu."

Several of those at the event said that the Shire of Flinthyll will probably have another event next year, but no date had been set.