Every now and then the SCA heavies in the US decide to mess up everyone else’s game. A while back they tried banning archery because, to paraphrase one thug on the rec.org.sca mailing list, “we don’t like it that they can shoot us and then run away before we get to hurt them back”. Then there was the fencing ban, championed by a small spherical Queen who believed that fencing wasn’t period but it was OK to make Star Trek jokes at tourneys. And their most recent edict (so far): requiring that all archers wear heavy armour and, by implication, open themselves up to attack with sword and mace. Lochac has the concept of “combat lights”: archers, siege engineers and banner bearers who the heavies may not hit, but who are required to fall over and play dead as soon as a heavy comes within a certain number of metres of their position. This has worked safely and enjoyably for twenty years, but that didn’t stop the tentpegs wanting to change “their” game.

This is about that. It’s to the tune of The Agincourt Carol, but of course you can sing it to the tune of the Banana Boat Song. The chorus is the biblical latin: God said “Let there be light!” And there was light.

Oh, and the good news: the concerted effort by the Lochac SCA solved the problem and a sensible compromise was reached. This time.

[September 2006]