By ANGEL COPELAND
Battalion Staff
Classes on everything from belly
dancing and knife throwing to
medieval desserts and the War of
the Roses were taught by members
of the Society for Creative
Anachronisms at Texas A&M last
weekend.
An anachronism is a person or
thing that is chronologically out of
place, especially one appropriate
for an earlier time. Members of the
society adopt a personality from the
Middle Ages, which they consider
prior to 1650, complete with
appropriate dress and manner
isms.
The classes were part of an event
called the University of Ansteorra,
and was hosted by the Texas A&M
chapter of SCA known as the Shire
of the Shadowlands.
The College Station area was
given the name Shadowlands be
cause it lies in the “shadow” of the
major cities of Houston, San Anto
nio, and Dallas-Fort Worth.
Ansteorra is made up principally
of Texas and Oklahoma and is itself
part of the Kingdom of Antenveldt.
The event was held in Rudder
Tower over the weekend and mem
bers from all over the kingdom
shared their favorite aspects of
medieval life.
Only things that are considered
“in period” are part of the “real”
world of fantasy the members build
around themselves. Other matters
of the 20th century are considered
“mundane” and not important as
they recreate the past.
Members use special society
names instead of their mundane
names when they gather for an
event. For example, Leon the Inde
cisive is a graduate student in pub
lic administration at Texas A&M
and taught a class on knife throw
ing. Leon, who declined to give his
mundane name, is a three-year
member of the society.
SCA has over 2,300 dues-paying
members and claims regular parti
cipation by ten times that number.
The Society attracts members of
all ages. One of the youngest mem
bers, 13-year-old Llewelyn of
Swansea joined about two years
ago when his older brother became
a member. Llewelyn said he
doesn't mind being one of the few
children in the society, and said his
friends think his participation is
"pretty strange” but “neat.”
Mark Ruttledge drinks out of a stein at Society’s Feast and Fest. Martin Catt from Dallas