On 1 May 2016 (Anno Societatis LI), the SCA celebrated its 50th anniversary. The SCA dates back to the first event, held on 1 May, 1966 in a backyard in Berkley, California (in the West Kingdom). For those interested in the history of how the SCA began, you can read about it on the West Kingdom’s history site: West Kingdom’s history webpage Year 0.
In the SCA, there a four ‘origin Kingdoms’ from which all others sprung from: West Kingdom, East Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Atenveldt. Lochac is a unique Kingdom in her origin as she sprung from two joint parent Kingdom’s: West Kingdom and the Kingdom of Caid (pronounced Kai-eed).
There were several events marking this momentous occasion, including a display at Rowany Festival (March 2016), several displays in the Crescent Isles (April 2016), and a Lochac display at the SCA 50 Year Event (June 2016).
Display Items
Kingdom and Principality Scrolls
The Provost of Scribes, Mistress Branwen of Werchesvorde, designed and co-ordinated the making of two large scrolls that document all of the Royalty of Lochac, divided into Principality and Kingdom. Alongside each of the pairs of Royalty are the arms of all Lochac Peers made within Their Reign.
The scrolls were presented to Their Royal Majesties Kinggiyadai I and Altani I at Bal d’Argent in Torlyon in 2015. They will be displayed at Rowany Festival 2016, SCA 50 Year in Indiana (USA) in June 2016, and will be returned to the Provost of Scribes for updating into the future.
Mistress Branwen designed, calligraphed, and leather worked the scrolls. Dede Kilic ibn Sungur ibn al-Kazganci al-Turhani was the technical support, painted some of the arms, helped build the roll, and contributed to the leather work. Catherine d’Arc, Leonie de Grey, Hadrian Listrelle, Ydeneya Ballincourt, Ilaria da Vale, and Slaine inghean Uic Ruadhain contributed to the painting of arms.
The design was created in a 14th century English style, and is current to 1 May 2015 (i.e. up to the creation of the first three Masters of Defence).
Kingdom Banner
Designed by Baroness Sir Eva von Danzig and currently under creation by The Honourable Elizabet Hunter, there will be a silk banner headlining Lochac’s display.
The banner will be 140cm wide by 226.5cm long, painted on silk in colours with a muted goldish mille fleure background.
The design was inspired by the style of the 15th-16th South Netherlandish Tapestry with Armorial Bearings and Badges of John, Lord Dynham, as displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Lochac’s First Sword of State
Since becoming a Crown Principality on the 5th of January 1985, Lochac has had three Swords of State.
Lochac’s First Sword of State has brass quillons and pommel, and is sheathed in a red leather hilt.
For more information about, and photos of, Lochac’s Swords of State – see the Regalia page on Memories of Lochac.
Lochac’s Written History
As part of the SCA 50 Year Event, each Kingdom was tasked with writing a 10,000 word history, along with a two page summary of said history, to be published together.
Lochac’s history document is called *Except in Lochac: The Southern-most Kingdom where, if the fauna doesn’t get you, the landscape will. It has been drafted by the Kingdom Historian, The Honourable Baroness Ceara Shionnach, and was edited by Countess Mistress Mathilde Adycote of Mynheniot, Count Sir Stephen Aldred, Baron Master Hrölf Herjölfssen, Viscountess Mistress Ingerith Ryzka, Lord Niccodemus Novello, and Duchess Liadan ingen Fheredaig. It includes photos and information collated from all over the Kingdom, and summarises the content on Lochac’s history website: Memories of Lochac.
A longer written history (20,000 words) is also available, by the same title. Three copies of this longer history were typeset and printed by Mistress Katherine Kerr of the Hermitage and leather-bound and gold gilt by The Honourable Baroness Isabel de Winter. One copy remains in Lochac under the care of the Kingdom Historian, and one copy each was gifted to Lochac’s parent Kingdoms of the West and Caid.
Copies of these histories can be downloaded in PDF form:
- Lochac Short History Summary for 50 Year
- Lochacs-History-final-longer-version
- Lochacs-History-final-50-year-submission
Photos
Copies of photos from Lochac’s history will be printed and put into albums/posters for the display. These photos have been collected from many members of the populace, and are available on Memories of Lochac, and the offsite Shutterfly website (Lochac Kingdom History albums).
Lochac Maps
Images of various other maps of Lochac through time were printed and made available to view during the displays.
Memorial Books
Duchess Yolande Kesteven brought small, decorative notebooks for the Memorial section of Lochac’s display. These books were available to dedicate to those we have lost (one book per person), and anyone who wanted to write down memories or comments about someone lost to us was welcome to do so.
A&S 50 Challenge Display Spaces
The display at Rowany Festival invited those who’ve entered the A&S 50 Challenge to display their creations/documentation/photos at Rowany Festival 2016.
50 Year Tapestry Display
To celebrate 50 years of living in the Current Middle Ages, Mistress Katherine Kerr of the Hermitage organised for a special display that allowed Lohcac to see the history of the Known World represented in 100 feet of tapestry.
As part of this celebration, Lochac will hosted the 50 panels of the Known World Tapestry at Rowany Festival (March 25-29, 2016), with the Tapestry then travelling to the Crescent Isles Tapestry Show in the Barony of Southron Gaard (April 9-10, 2016).
Underneath the Tapestry there were placards presenting prominent moments in the timeline relating to Lochac-specific history, as compiled by Mistress Katherine Kerr of the Hermitage and The Honourable Baroness Ceara Shionnach.
Along with the Tapestry display, there were a range of related arts and science classes and activities, including:
- Guided tours of the Tapestry by its creator to show you the history of the Known World, and
- A chance to commemorate Lochac’s place in the Known World with your own embroidered slip based on Tapestry elements and stitches.
Crescent Isles Tapestry Show – April 2016
The Barony of Southron Gaard hosted the SCA 50 Year Tapestry on April 9-10, 2016. The steward for this was Mistress Katherine Kerr of the Hermitage.
Along with the Tapestry display, there were a range of related arts and science classes and activities, including:
- Guided tours of the Tapestry by its creator to show you the history of the Known World,
- A chance to commemorate Lochac’s place in the Known World with your own embroidered slip based on Tapestry elements and stitches, and
- A special display of the many and varied works of local AS50 Challenge participants (the AS50 Challenge has been running since 2007 throughout the Known World; the Tapestry is just one of many arts and sciences projects it has inspired).
SCA 50 Year Event – June 2016
What started out as a backyard party in 1966 has grown into an international organization with over 30,000 paid members, and perhaps that many more unpaid participants.
In celebration of the 50 years of living history, the Society for Creative Anachronism hosted a 50 Year Celebration in Danville, Indiana, USA June 17-27, 2016.
Throughout this event, Lochac had a display that was frequently manned by: Viscountess Mistress Rowan Perrigryne, Baron Sir Callum Macleod, The Honourable Baroness Ceara Shionnach, and Lady Adeliz Fergusson.
As specified by the Display Chair:
Each Kingdom will be allotted a 20-24’ (length) x 8’ (Depth) space located in the Hendricks Power Exposition Hall. We are asking that all displays include the following:
- A banner or sign displaying the name of the Kingdom,
- A large Kingdom device displaying the arms of the Kingdom,
- King and Queen Lineage on a large easily readable display,
- Pictures or items that are a part of the Kingdom’s history (example: coronets, gowns, casting molds from important items, mantles, old armor, new armor etc.),
- An uplifting, 10 minute video on the history and traditions of the Kingdom.
Recommended but not required:
- Any written Kingdom histories
- Peerage Lineage
- Displays of Kingdom traditions
- Kingdom songs recorded or written for viewing and listening
- Lists and depictions of Kingdom level awards
- Maps of territories, baronies, shires etc.
- All the things that make your Kingdom unique!!
An event summary of SCA 50 Year from the Lochac perspective can be read on Memories of Lochac.