On most days, Forest Park exists as a quiet paradise in a remote corner of the bustling city of Baton Rouge.
But on Sundays, it is occupied by an army of sword fighters, archers and bards who transform the fields behind the tennis courts into the Shire of Wyrmgeist, a portal to battlefields of the Middle Ages.
This army of historical fighters and craftsmen claims allegiance to the Kingdom of Gleann Abhann, a Gaelic phrase meaning “river valley” that encompasses an area that includes Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas.
More specifically, they are members of the Baton Rouge chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism, a group that studies the history of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance by recreating historical events, crafts and practices.
Ryan O’Connor, the group’s rapier marshal, said many of the group’s members are drawn to the martial combat the group advocates. There are two main schools of combat practiced at the society’s events: armored and fencing combat. Heavy fighters wear helmets and full suits of torso armor made from materials like iron and leather and construct a variety of weapons from similar components. Rapier fencers wear lighter armor and participate in actual fencing matches as taught by O’Connor, who also owns the Red Stick School of Fencing.
According to Chris Busceme, the club’s minister of arts and sciences, the weapons are blunted for safety, but hits only count if they would seriously cut through chainmail armor, were they safeguarded.
“A hit to the arm means you can’t use that arm, a hit to the leg means you have to kneel and a body or head shot means you’re dead,” she said.
Newcomers and veterans alike clash every Sunday in practice fights in preparation for larger events like tournaments and wars.
Tournaments are weekend-long events during which fighters from all over a particular region compete against each other in single- or double-elimination brackets similar to those used in basketball. All tournaments are co-ed, and whoever wins the tournament is dubbed the king or queen of that particular event.
Tournaments are accompanied by full courts featuring feasts, jugglers, jesters and singers. Some members of the society roleplay, but many participants simply drink and talk after a long day of fighting. Lodgings are often offered in the form of campsites, and some members even use their own land to host visiting participants.
Wars are large-scale events that can last anywhere from a day to a week. These huge battles allow for both heavy and light combat and also feature mounted fights, combat archery and jousting. The premiere event of the Southeast, Gulf Wars, happened last week in Lumberton, Miss., and many of Baton Rouge’s finest were in attendance.
Despite its moniker, wars are actually friendly events that also feature activities pertinent to the society’s other primary goal, which is the study of the fine arts, crafts and sciences of the past.
Members of the society study a myriad of historical subjects, including calligraphy, bone carving, leatherworking, blacksmithing, needlework, herbalism and medieval brewing. Busceme said many members abstain from fighting altogether and devote themselves exclusively to a hands-on approach to forgotten arts.
“A lot of recipes and methods were lost, so we use the knowledge we have to recreate them and try to fill in the blanks creatively,” O’Connor said.
Terri Henderson, one of the chapter’s newest members, purchases custom-made instruments from regional vendors and teaches herself how to play them. As a former history teacher, Henderson found the society’s approach to learning exciting, and upon visiting one of its library demonstrations, was immediately hooked.
“There’s just nothing else like this,” Henderson said.
One member of the society even creates replicas of historical swords and sells them to museums. Busceme herself has sewn garb and crafts for more than 30 years.
“Some people have real Ph.D.-level knowledge of this stuff,” Busceme said.
Although most of the society’s events are themed around the Middle Ages, many of the society’s more academically inclined members focus on a specific era in history, and the club is more than eager to facilitate their academic interests. One man makes garb influenced exclusively by Elizabethan traditions, while another member studies ancient Middle Eastern practices.
According to Busceme, the society welcomes interests in many different ideas and fields of study because people are drawn to it for many different reasons. Some members, like Henderson, joined only last week, while other members were born into a tradition of “living history.” Member ages range from 3 to 70 years old, and activities cater to a variety of interests and needs.
The Shire of Wyrmgeist meets at 3 p.m. every Sunday in the field behind the tennis courts in Forest Park. For more information, contact the Shire of Wyrmgeist through its Facebook page.
“A lot of recipes and methods were lost, so we use the knowledge we have to recreate them and try to fill in the blanks creatively.”