Throughout Known Worlde history, sovereignty over Antarctica has been under dispute time and time again. Parts of the region have belonged to the West Kingdom (Principality of Lochac) and the Kingdom of Caid (Crescent Isles) in earlier SCA history, however, Lochac has held claim over the entire continent since it became a Kingdom and was joined by the Crescent Isles.
Regions of Antarctica
Historically, Antarctica has been divided into two sepparate regions in the SCA: Ynys Rhew and the Great White Southern Land.
Ynys Rhew means the Ice Isle. It is the name given to the parts of Antarctica claimed by the Barony of Ynys Fawr (who owns the Australian parts of the continent).
The Great White Southern Land is the name given to the remaining parts of Antarctica, claimed by the Barony of Southron Gaard.
Pen Gwynne War AS 27
The Pen Gwynne War was the SCA’s first inter-Kingdom battle of the Southern Hemisphere. It was fought between the Barony of Ynys Fawr (West Kingdom) and the Barony of Southron Gaard (Kingdom of Caid) over the ownership of Antarctica. See the chapter on the region known as Ynys Rhew (Antarctica) for more details of this war.
On the weekend of 5-6 December, AS 27, Ynys Fawr (still part of the Kingdom of the West) and Southron Gaard (still part of the Kingdom of Caid at the time), the SCA’s first inter-Kingdom battle of the Southern Hemisphere occurred. The event was called the Pen Gwynne War and it was fought over the ownership of Antarctica. Southron Gaard were the eventual winners and, as reward, the Baron of Ynys Fawr was gifted to the Baron and Baroness of Southron Gaard as an honorary citizen of their fair lands.
A monograph outlining the details of the first Pen Gwynne War is available on Mistress Katherine Kerr of the Hermitage’s website.
Southron Gaard AS 43
In AS 43 (2009), Lord Roderick of Iona (Southron Gaard‘s co-warden of the Great White Southern Land) placed a shield depicting Southron Gaard’s Baronial device on the high plateau to the west of the continent to demonstrate Lochac’s stewardship of the land. This same shield was displayed at Canterbury Faire a few days later.
A photo of the occassion is available in the Southron Gaard photo gallery.
Caid Invasion AS 49
On 9 October 2014 (AS 49), Lord Sigvaldr Bjarnarsen from the Kingdom of Caid travelled to Antarctica and attempted to claim the lands for Caid. Lord Sigvaldr took photos of the Caid arms in Antarctica, and sent the following missive to his Crown:
I, Lord Sigvaldr Bjarnarsen, loyal subject of the realm left my wonderful home of Caid as sworn before my local friends, and set the sights of my rallied warriors upon the frozen treasures of Antarctica. My forces have since landed 2 days past, and paid a heavy price, but our results are undeniable. I am pleased to announce to the entire populace…
WE HAVE CONQUERED ALL LAND IN THE REGION! There is no longer any people standing who are loyal to Kingdom of Lochac, and if there is, they will eventually make themselves known. When they do, they will be given the opportunity to see the light and become loyal Caidian subjects, or they will be put down into a frozen grave.
I say this now out loud and proudly, the Caidian Flag now waves at McMurdo Station in Antarctica! (As always, photos or it didn’t happen…..)
To the Kingdom of Lochac… you have just lost 5.5 million square miles of land! I figured since this land was such a large burden to you, I would simply take said burden from your shoulders and place it on mine on behalf of their Majesties the King and Queen of Caid!! You have seven days (rotations of the sun around my position) to answer this… If no answer…. Then, I CLAIM THIS LAND AS CONQUERED IN THE NAME OF CAID!!
LONG LIFE TO THEIR ROYAL MAJESTIES AND THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES!
LONG LIVE CAID!!!
Though not physically present in Antarctica at the time, Their Majesties Niall II and Liadan II were alerted to the threat of imminent invasion and promptly replied on the same day with the following missive:
A MISSIVE FROM THE KINGDOM OF LOCHAC.
To Our Cousins Their Royal Majesties Agrippa King and Bridget Queen and to Their Royal Highnesses Mansur and Eiliegh, Crown Prince and Princess of Caid, does Niàll and Liadan, King and Queen of Lochac sends cautious and worried greetings!
Good Cousins, my most southern members of the populous have sent me troubling words that one of your subjects Lord Sigvaldr Bjarnarsen has invaded Our Lands in Your name.
Your subject has raised the flag of Caid in Our Kingdom making all sorts of outrageous claims of conquering them in your name and claiming that the lands were unpopulated by Lochac.
Surely this is some form Caidian humour ? Perhaps by “conquering” he means to pay homage to Us as he enters Our lands and seeks Our protection?
Being new to the lands of Lochac, we feel his folly requires Our sympathy, for he is obviously mistaken that the lands are unconquered – infact we maintain an emissary far from our northern lands, with a representative of Saint-Florian-de-la-rivière at an outpost mundanely known as Davis Station.
Should this be an act of War and not just a misguided folly done without your consent, Our Knights in the nearby Southron Gaard (for example, Sir Vitale) and in the Barony of Ynys Fawr, Our two closest garrisons stand ready to defend mighty Lochac and I’m afraid, have Lord Sigvaldr cut off from any re-enforcement.
We feel that this must be a translation error between the native Caid tongue and the native Lochac tongue and what Lord Sigvaldr means is that he brings us your greetings and well wishes, that You ask Our protection of him and he pays us homage?
Good Cousins Agrippa and Bridget Lucia MacKenzie, send Us Your word as to what is meant by this.
Sir Niàll – King of Lochac
Liadan – Queen of Lochac
The Crown of Caid responded promptly to the Crown of Lochac’s missive:
Oh, dear! Beloved Royal Cousins, King Niall and Queen Liadan, do we, Agrippa and Bridget, King and Queen of Caid, give you greeting of love and friendship! We are concerned that our Caidan Citizen, Sigvaldr, may have been confused in his reasons for traveling to your rightful lands of the areas known as “Antarctica”. He was SUPPOSED to be exploring and adventuring, certainly not conquering! Those frozen lands, though once part of Caid, were given in trust and friendship to your new kingdom to protect and administer. Indeed, we are SURE that the cold has addled the reasoning of the good Sigvaldr, for he should well know the delineation of our kingdoms, and the lengths to which you will defend yours.
Furthermore, we are CERTAIN that he has prepared gifts of respect and homage for Royal Majesties and for any other fine Lochoc nobility he meets, with his own coin, to PROVE his peaceful intentions on your lands. Please inform us if these tributes do not arrive upon your doorsteps, for then we will need to deal severely with Sigvaldr ourselves . We will remind him the difference between the words “take back” and “friendly visit”.
Let the friendship between the Kingdoms of Lochoc and Caid stand as strong as ever! Let the peace and love between our peoples be as bright as the colors of our banners!
Agrppa, Rex Caidus
Bridget, Regina Caidus
Their Majesties Niall II and Liadan II did indeed recieve a box of tribute from Caid in recompense for the attempted invasion, which included stacks of chocolate gold that were distributed amongst some of the Lochacian populace.
Over the next month, the Barony of Saint-Florian-de-la-rivière organised for a Lochac banner to be sent to, and displayed prominently at, Davis Station in Antarctica. Local Antarctican resident Bob the Cold made sure that Lochac’s claim was visible for all to see to help prevent further interkingdom incidences.
