Poll of the Blatha an Oir Champion's Tourney

Poll in Blatha an Oir

As Baronial Champion of Blatha an Oir I got to meet and work with many officers of that branch, whom I was honored to serve as champion for the duration of one year, which is now over. I used this opportunity to ask the fighters who were on-site that day I surrendered my office a series of basic questions about their opinions on various matters about fighting and the SCA in general. For your study and/or amusement I present the questions and the answers. Remember these answers are from the fighters of the Blatha an Oir Champion's tourney and the order of the answers is mixed to insure anonymity, yet I placed my personal favorite (not necessarily what I would have said) answer at the top of each list. See how yours compares.

                               In service, 
                           Sir Valtorr of Oslo

• • • WHY DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE SCA? ***

I feel like I belong, like part of a family. It gives me the opportunity to live a dream and to share that dream with my friends. I am an amateur archaeologist and an adrenaline addict. The SCA gives me a place to indulge in both the plus the relaxation I need. I like best the camaraderie and the chance to live an alternate lifestyle. I like to surround myself with objects I have created. It's comfortable and stimulating, a great contrast to mundane reality. I like the challenge, and I love history. The SCA has a politeness and decency not found in the mundane world. The history and the fighting. I see it as a social group with one great common interest: the chivalric ideal. It's the only place where a man's honor still means something.

• • • IN ORDER OF PRECEDENCE, WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE LOYALTIES YOU HAVE WITHIN THE SCA? ***

Lady, King, liege-lord Knight, Baroness, King. Kingdom, Barony, liege. SCA, Knight, Lady. Friends, Barony, Kingdom. Knight, King, Lady. Baron, Baroness, Captain of Argent Company. King, Lady, Baron(ess). Lady, friends, Kingdom. Lady, King, Barony. SCA family, Baroness, personal duty.

• • • WHY DO YOU FIGHT IN THE SCA? ***

There's a streak of violence in me that feels comfortable with a sword in my hand. The SCA lets me meet that need without hurting anyone. I get to get the violence out and still keep it fun. The adrenaline rush. I feel really alive. It's the martial arts with chivalry. It's fun. I enjoy the fighting. The chivalry and exercise. The pleasure of armored combat and the chivalry. Exercise. The camaraderie and competition. I enjoy the competition. I like the competition and enjoy pretending being a medieval knight. It relieves stress and its a lot more fun than mundane athletics. I take a great deal of joy from it. I like the competition without the danger of harming others and how we honor our ladies. I like the competition combined with the chivalric attitude.

• • • HOW DO YOU DEFINE A "KILLING BLOW"? ***

It's a killing blow when my opponent says "Good". If the weapon were real and I were in the assumed armor and it would have penetrated and killed me, it was a killing blow. Hard enough to kill or maim or enough that would leave me unable to defend myself. Clean and reasonably hard on a legal target. Hard enough for me to tell. I'm still new. Experience. I done this enough to know. I take it case by case. It depends on the targeted area. By force of the blow and the noise it makes. I will take constant blows to the same area. A clean unimpeded blow hard enough to knock me senseless if it were done by a real sword. Cleanly, with sufficient force to penetrate the assumed armor. Clean and well struck. It need not be a 'bone-rattler', but it shouldn't be an accident either. If weapon were real and I were in the assumed armor it would have penetrated and killed me.

• • • ARE THERE ANY CHANGES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MADE IN THE KINGDOM ARMOR REQUIREMENTS? ***

Remove wings from the inside of knees, remove elbow behind shield, and outlaw hockey gloves altogether. Forearm protection should be required. A current book should be published that tells me what they are. Minimum armor is what I like. Rules should be enforced better. Rules are fine, but to follow them or not should be our choice. Most rules should be guidelines. No changes, but rules should be enforced equally. (3 people simply answered "No", one person declined.)

• • • WHAT IS THE HIGHEST HONOR A FIGHTER MAY ACHIEVE? ***

To carry the favor of someone who loves him on the field. Fighting chivalrously and the acknowledgment his peers for his chivalry. To be the sergeant of a barony. To die for his lord. To accomplish his goals and to never dishonor anyone. Being considered chivalric by everyone. To put your lady on the throne. Being a sergeant. Never being accused of rhinohiding. Putting a crown on your lady's head, or just having a lady to fight for. To be called a chivalric fighter.

• • • HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE "FIGHTING EXCELLENCE"? ***

Chivalric. Honorable beyond reproach. A crisp and clean style with a large amount of style and skill and do it prettily. Exactly like Steingrim. Being able to consistently deliver clean and precise blows of sufficient force so there is no question. Always being chivalric and willing to teach what you know. More than just combat, it's attitude on the field. Honorably, chivalrously, and at a par with your peers. Thorin, Torgul, and Dak. A good combination of speed, percision, power, caginess, but most important is chivalry. (Four people declined to answer.)

• • • WERE THE OFFENCE SERIOUS ENOUGH, WOULD YOU CHALLENGE OR ACCEPT A CHALLENGE TO DECIDE A 'REAL LIFE' DISPUTE IN ARMOR? ***

Never! That's not where it belongs. I would not take the field for anything serious. No, I wouldn't. It would not be chivalric fighting, too serious. If I thought it would solve it. Yes. I have faith in my abilities. Probably not because someone might lose their temper and lose honor. (Three people just said Yes, Two just said No.)

• • • HOW FAR DO YOU CARRY YOUR SCA IDEALS OF HONOR AND CHIVALRY INTO YOUR MUNDANE LIFE? ***

Almost totally. The more I'm involved the more it shows in my mundane life. As far as I can. I don't know that there's any difference. Very far. As much as I can. I don't play this as a game. Chivalry is real to me. In every way possible. I try to carry them with me at all times. As far as possible.

• • • DO YOU EVER SEE AN END TO THE SCA? ***

The organization may die, but not the ideal. I see it growing and changing, but not ending. No, it fulfills a need for a sufficient number of people. Yes, the thing that's making it grow is what will kill it: Middle class money and the need to flaunt it. A new SCA will start somewhere. Never. As long as there's dreamers there will be an SCA. No, it can only get bigger. Probably not. I don't think so. It fulfills a need that people have. I can't see it diing, just changing. (Two people just said No.)