Pennsic War
The Pennsic War is an annual two week camping event held by the
Society for Creative Anachronism between the kingdoms of the East and the Middle . It is the single largest annual event of the SCA. As of 2006 there have been 35 Pennsic Wars. The name Pennsic War is a combination of
Pennsylvania and Punic War.
Encyclopedia
The Pennsic War is an annual two week camping event held by the
Society for Creative Anachronism between the kingdoms of the East and the Middle . It is the single largest annual event of the SCA. As of 2006 there have been 35 Pennsic Wars. The name Pennsic War is a combination of
Pennsylvania and Punic War.
History
The Pennsic War has been held each August since 1972.
The first Pennsic was held at Newt's Campground in Waterford, Pennsylvania. The second was held at St. Clair Beach Campground near
Pittsburgh. The third was held on a private farm outside Zelienople, Pennsylvania. The fourth was held outside
Cleveland, Ohio and was marred by massive flooding and mudslides. The fifth was held outsite
Ashtabula, Ohio after a site in
West Virginia was rejected. The sixth and all subsequent Pennsics have been held at Cooper's Lake
Campground in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.
"One day, almost 30 years ago, Cariadoc of the Bow, the King of the Middle, got bored with peace and declared war upon the East, loser to take Pittsburgh. The King of the East read the declaration of war, filed it away and forgot about it. Time passed. Cariadoc moved to New York and subsequently became King of the East, whereupon he retrieved the declaration from the file cabinet and said, 'Let’s fight.' The Middle won, and Cariadoc has the distinction of being the only king who declared war upon himself and lost." - from HERSTAÐR-SAGA: An Incomplete History of Pennsic.
People
Since Pennsic XXV in 1996 the event has gathered over 10,000 participants each year. These include not only SCA members from all over the U.S. but also members of various other history- or fantasy-based organizations, such as the Tuchux. Pennsic is, however, an SCA event; members of other groups are welcome, but are expected to follow SCA rules -- especially in regards to armor, weapons and behavior on the battlefield for the various fighting scenarios.
At Pennsic XXXV in 2006 there were 11595 people in attendance.
Activites
Marshal
- Archery
- Armored combat
- Rapier Combat
- Thrown Weapons
- Youth Combat
Non-Marshal
...
Impact
Since its inception in 1972, the Pennsic War has acquired almost mythic status in the world of the SCA; nowhere else can one see and meet so many medieval reenactors from so many places, or see so many people engaging in friendly armored combat at one time. It has even inspired a mystery novel,
Murder at the War , by Mary Monica Pulver. There have been many video documentaries made of Pennsic and the battles thereof, the largest of which is Duckball Home Video's "The Pennsic War: A Video Documentary" produced in 1991 at the 20th Pennsic War. Also, Pennsic has become thoroughly identified with Cooper's Lake. In 2001, SCA members built a permanent wooden "fort" on the site, for use in various battle scenarios and ceremonies.
References
- F.L. Watkins . 2005. HERSTAÐR-SAGA: An Incomplete History of Pennsic © Folump Enterprises
- The Official Pennsic War web site
External links
- The Official Pennsic War web site
- The website for the Pennsic Campground
- The official site of the Kingdom of the Midrealm
- The official site of the East Kingdom
- The official site of the Sylvan Kingdom of Æthelmearc
- A site with collected images, videos, and stories of the Pennsic War
- The official site of Pennsic's on-site newspaper
