Kingdom of Lochac
The Kingdom of Lochac is one of twenty "Kingdoms" or regions, of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) - an international organization dedicated to researching and recreating aspects of the Middle Ages.
Comprising Australia, New Zealand and their Antarctic territories, it is made up of almost 40 local groups.
The current King and Queen are King Steffan Glaube I and Queen Branwen verch Lewis ap Thomas I.
The Kingdom takes its name from a Dutch term for Australia dating from 1630.[1]
Contents
General
The group has around 2000 members,[2] and is one of Australia's oldest Living History groups, having started in 1980.[3] The Australasian Branch includes Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica[4]
History
The SCA in Australia was initiated with a local SCA inspired group, "The Society for the Current Middle Ages"(SCMA) holding its first event in November 1980[5] The SCMA joined the US based SCA in Sydney around 1981, and in Christchurch shortly after.[6] Other cities in both countries formed groups, but the New Zealand groups became part of the Kingdom of Caid,[6] while Australia became the Crown Principality (and later the Principality) of Lochac under The West Kingdom. Lochac became a kingdom its own right in 2002, and the New Zealand-based groups joined in 2003.[7][8]
Local Groups
The different branches of the group are known within the group by their SCA names, for instance Liverpool in Sydney is known as Agaricus, the Blue Mountains is known as the Shire of Dismal Fogs,[8] greater Sydney itself is the Barony of Rowany.[4]
Other groups include:
- Barony of Aneala - Perth, Western Australia
- Barony of Ildhafn - Auckland, New Zealand
- Barony of Innilgard - South Australia and the Northern Territory.
- Barony of Krae Glas - South Eastern Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Barony of Mordenvale - Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
- Barony of Politachopolis - Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Barony of Riverhaven - North and Western parts of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Barony of Rowany - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Barony of St Florian de la Riviere - Brisbane South and Redland Shire Council, Queensland, Australia
- Barony of Southron Gaard - Christchurch, New Zealand
- Barony of Stormhold - Inner and west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Barony of Ynys Fawr - Tasmania, Australia
- Canton of Abertridwr - Part of Aneala
- Canton of Cairn Fell - Ballarat, Australia
- Canton of Cluain - Part of Ildhafn, New Zealand
- Canton of Draks Fjord - Part of Riverhaven, Queensland, Australia
- Canton of Stowe on the Wowld - Part of Rowany, Australia
- College of Blessed Herman the Cripple - Adelaide University the first of the Colleges registered in Lochac
- College of Saint Aldhelm - Australian National University
- College of Saint Andronicus - University of Canberra
- College of Saint Bartholomew - University of Melbourne
- College of Saint Basil the Great - University of Western Australia
- College of Saint Crispins - University of Newcastle
- College of Saint Gildas the Wise - University of Tasmania
- College of Saint Monicas - Monash University
- College of Saint Ursula - University of Sydney
- Shire of Adora - Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia
- Shire of Boesenburg - Bunbury, Western Australia
- Shire of Darton - Wellington, New Zealand
- Shire of Dragons Bay - (Perth Southern Suburbs, Western Australia)
Awards
The society has a number of awards that are given to group members to encourage their skills in Historical based arts. Examples of these include the
- Shining Helm - for armour
- Order of the Pelican - for exceptional service and organisational skills
- Order of the Chivalry - for martial prowess and chivalry
- Order of the Laurel - Exceptional skill as an artisan, in a specialised area
Events
Rowany Festival
The group's largest event is the Rowany Festival, a week-long Medieval festival that features classes, tournaments, competitions and general revelry. It is held at Easter every year, near Sydney. Amongst SCAdians it is known as "Rowany", except those who live in the Rowany (Sydney) area, where it is known as Festival.
The Festival has been running since April 1983,[9] is the longest running medieval/living history event in Australia. It has grown to its current size at which 1000 people may attend. It is the largest SCA event in Australia, and is a de fact "National event".
Some SCA members are involved in the Crossroads Medieval Village near Yass, New South Wales, and in the past the Rowany Festival has been held there.
As it is held over Easter, Christians generally get together in a discreet place to hold a scheduled Easter Sunday mass. And if Pesach falls at the same time of year, there are often people cooking in accordance with the very special customs that relate to that.
Traditionally large battles involving SCA Heavy Combat are fought at Rowany Festival that may include up to 300 combatants. Medieval feasts are held by the households participating. A "merchants row", a street of merchants, runs for the whole weekend, as well as a Saturday only market. Typically, the merchants sell arts, crafts and off the peg armour.[3]
Rowany Festival has had five different locations. It was held from 1981 to 1997 at Fairholme Park in Wilton. It then moved to Tara Girl Guide camp in Silverdale in Western Sydney from 1998 to 2002, thence to the Crossroads Medieval Village medieval community in Yass. In 2008 it moved to the Glenworth Valley Horse Riding centre at Peats Ridge, New South Wales, and it has taken place at Camp Wombaroo near to Jellore State Forest since 2014.
Other events
Other large, multi day event activities include Canterbury Faire held in New Zealand, "Great Northern War" held in Queensland, Spring War held in Newcastle, "Autumn Gathering" and "Pencampwr" held in Western Australia.
References
- ↑ "Day Turns to knight in the battle of Northbridge". , The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 May 1995.p2
- ↑ McIntosh, Deborah. "Sunday". The Sun Herald 28 Jun 1998.p 6
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fennel, Tim. "They love the Knight life" HQ Magazine, Sep/Oct 1995, p63.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Taylor, Andrew. "Forsooth, A Fair Damsel, Mate". The Sun Herald, 12 August p 34
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 [2]
- ↑ [3]
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Willis, Robyn. "Back to the age of Chivalry". The Sun Herald, 14 October 1990. P 155
- ↑ http://history.westkingdom.org/Branches/Lochac.htm
- (1) McIntosh, Deborah. "Sunday". The Sun Herald 28 Jun 1998.p 6
- (2) Taylor, Andrew. "Forsooth, A Fair Damsel, Mate". The Sun Herald, 12 Sugust p 34
- (3) Willis, Robyn. "Back to the age of Chivalry". The Sun Herald, 14 October 1990. P 155,
- (4) Willis, Robyn. "Back to the age of Chivalry". The Sun Herald, 14 October 1990. P 155,
- (5) Taylor, Andrew. "Forsooth, A Fair Damsel, Mate". The Sun Herald, 12 Sugust p 34
- (6) "Day Turns to knight in the battle of Northbridge"., The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 May 1995.p2
- (7) http://www.sca.org.au/lochac/groups/groups.php SCA Lochac Site
Bibliography
- Crowe, Sara. "Knight-Games". The Sun Herald. 14 April 1996
- Watson, Chad. "Ready for Battle". Newcastle Herald. 28 Sep 2001
- Taffel, Jacquie. "Lance Australia Fair". The Sydney Morning Herald 2 Jan 2004.
- Wilson, David. "Armed and Odorous". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 Jan 2007.
- McIntosh, Deborah. "Sunday". The Sun Herald 28 Jun 1998.p 6
- Taylor, Andrew. "Forsooth, A Fair Damsel, Mate". The Sun Herald, 12 Sugust p 34
- Willis, Robyn. "Back to the age of Chivalry". The Sun Herald, 14 October 1990. P 155,
Internal
External
- Kingdom of Lochac - official website
- [4] - A short history of Lochac
- [5] - The History of the Kingdom of the west - The longer history of Lochac
Further reading
- Society for Creative Anachronism at DMOZ
- Locate an SCA group near you
- SCA Online Demo
- Society for Creative Anachronism homepage
- "The By-Laws and Corporate Policies of the SCA,Inc"
- The Known World Handbook (3rd ed.). Milpitas, CA: Society For Creative Anachronism, Inc.
- "The Origins of the SCA"
