The First Tourney
The first “official” SCA heavy tournament held in the lands of the Pacific Northwest that became An Tir occurred in Olympia, WA on May 3, 1970, hosted by the Barony of Madrone, autocratted by Raymond the Mild.
Event Announcement
The current address of this site in 2025 is: 6216 Johnson Point Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98516
The Page for April 1970 announced: “Sunday, May 3rd, at the holding of Clyde Schumann [father of Raymond the Mild], 12 noon 'till exhaustion... Fighting with diverse weapons, Maypole dancing, etc., etc. Although some meager efforts will be made to provide refreshments, everyone is requested to bring his own lunch/supper/suckling pig/fattened calf/what have you...
DIRECTIONS: Coming from Seattle, take the St. Martin's College Exit, turn right on Martin Wy. right again on Sleater Kinney, and right again on Johnson Pt. Rd. The Tourney grounds are at the only house on the right between Swane & Bickle Rds. From Portland, take the Sleater Kinney Rd. Exit, turn left on Sleater Kinney, crossing Martin Way. For further information, call Raymond the Mild.”
Chronicle
According to an interview with Raymond the Mild Founding Baron and first Seneschal of Madrone, by Richard Fitzalan in May 2025:
“Well, I'd set up a bophing rail, which is, you know, a couple of fence post holes, and cut down some alder tree. Alder trees or an alder tree. And just chopped a V into them. And then had a log across the thing so that people could sit on the rail and hit each other with pillows or something? I don't remember exactly. The one who was the last to fall off was the winner of that particular bout.”
“We set up a maypole for people to dance around. [Before the recording started Raymond also mentioned a sling competition and a scavenger hunt for suitable sling stones.] And we had fighting, of course. But most of the people, including me, the only one who really knew what they were doing, especially right at the first of it, was Sir Frederick, who was already a knight before. Before he moved to Portland. So the fighting was pretty clumsy compared to what was going on down South.”
Here is the report from the local newspaper:
“It hath befallen in this Age of Space - last week, to be exact — that the Barony of Madrone was formed in and around the City of Olympia as a part of the Great Kingdom of the West. This kingdom, centered in (you guessed it) California, is one of three which embrace the entire United States, the other two being the Kingdom of the East and the Middle Kingdom.
“All are linked together under the powerful Creative Anachronism Society, paradox of a strange age in which some of our nation's yeomen roar about on motorcycles; band together to sack castles, pour oil in the moat and dynamite the drawbridges; while still others gather and, like Ferdinand, simply sit and smell the flowers.
“However, those who people the kingdoms of the Creative Anachronism Society dip into a somewhat different bag. Members of the society (which even now awaits incorporation papers from the Office of the Secretary of State) plunge backward in time and dwell in whichever period may please an individual fancy, so long as it be earlier than 1650.
“It has come to pass that in their journey backward through time many of the travelers hath chosen to tarry in that Golden Age of knighthood, in its flower, when men were bold on the field of honor and maids were passing fair and also unliberated.
“In those days the tournament was every knight's Bag - and so it comes about that in the newly founded Barony of Madrone a tournament was held last Sunday afternoon on Squire Clyde Schumann's estate which lies along the Johnson Point Road between the lane of Swayne and the Road of Bickle”
“There the knights and their ladies gathered, along with other young men who as. pired to win knighthood on the jousting field. There, too, a Maypole dance was held and also a feast of rich foods.
“Coming from Portland as an agent of the King was Sir Frederick of the West Tower to oversee the games and perhaps vanquish a challenger on the field. This knight hath another name, I trow, which he use on the streets of 1970 Portland, but it doth slip my mind.
“Hosts of the tournament-and also founders of the new barony were Raymond the Mild and his dame, Sheen of Ire. These two are sometimes called Mr. and Mrs. Ray Schumann of Boston Harbor. It was they who put together a bag of gold pieces (20 in all) to buy incorporation papers for the Anachronism Society that it might function in the state of Washington.
"Twas the first of many tournaments planned for the proud new barony. And at all such tests of courage and spirit, according to Raymond the Mild, spectators as well as those knights or yeomen who wish to win honor on the field are welcome to attend. The hosts will provide such weapons as three shortswords, a mace and miscellaneous others, as well as three helms, three shields and a fast course of instruction on how to use them. The weapons are handmade of fine wood covered over with fiberglas to render them harmless. No metal weapon is allowed, or projectile weapon, or a thrown weapon save a light javelin hurled from a distance of five yards or more.
“Mayhap, if the knights of the Barony of Madrone conduct themselves with honor over a period of time, the barony may become a principality, sayeth Raymond the Mild. Moreover, at some time in the future of the Past (but not after 1650), the principality may break off to become a Kingdom of the Northwest.
“Meanwhile the knights will go forth to seek adventure, armed with their home carved weapons and shields…the ladies will stroll along lake shores feeding the swans — or busy themselves at their home-fashioned looms.
“And as the Creative Anachronism Society draws folk back through the ages from the congested 1970s, it may befall that all our fears of overpopulation will come to naught. Forsooth! Why seek space on a new planet for the future? ‘Od's blood, Coz! There's plenty of room in the Past!”
“'Tis Not Yet Camelot ... But Myghty Near Thereto” By Alice Watts. The Olympian, May 10, 1970, Page 1.