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The Lions' Pride Newspaper — The Student Run Newspaper of Saint Leo University

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https://lionsprideonline.com/campus-news/middle-age-combat-comes-to-kirk-lawn/

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Middle Age combat comes to Kirk Lawn

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By Elijah Penn, Copyeditor On April 18, Kirk Lawn became a battleground. Warriors in mid-evil garb and armor clashed in intense hand-to-hand combat scenarios as students looked on, rooting for their favorite fighter. This miniature renaissance festival was put on by “The Kingdom of Trimaris,” the local chapter of The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). The chapter believes that to best understand historical culture, one must live it as closely as possible. The result was not just a show, but a well-researched demonstration of pre-1600 combat and culture. “I thought the historical focus was very interesting,” said Mia Thomann, a freshman elementary education major. Members were open to questions from the onlookers, and several tents were set up displaying various period items from crests to garments. (Photo was taken by Elijah Penn) The fights were competitive, with each member attempting to land a “kill” blow with their weapon while parrying enemy strikes. (Photo was taken by Elijah Penn) Thomann learned about the event from a professor who mentioned it before class earlier that week. She decided to check it out for herself and enjoyed the activities. The historic armor in particular was something that caught Thomann’s interest. She also learned that in combat, “sinister” was used to mean “left,” and “dexter” was used as “right.” “I thought it was really interesting to see them fighting with different sets of armor, different weapons, different techniques, etc.,” said Thomann.The event also fell on the day that the annual Florida Political Science Association (FPSA) Conference was hosted at Saint Leo University. Students and faculty from across the state got to enjoy the festival between presentations and watched from the crowd among Saint Leo’s own students and faculty. “Holding the Renaissance Fair on Kirk Lawn during the FPSA Conference was a real benefit for attendees,” said Dr. Austin Trantham, assistant professor of Political Science at Saint Leo and the president of FPSA. “As participants moved between lunch and panel sessions throughout the day, they passed the event multiple times and saw our core value of community on full display.” Fighters were either experts in heavy or light weapons and used the appropriate techniques to achieve victory. (Photo was taken by Elijah Penn) The event was historically accurate down to the clothing each member wore. While the performances are fun, they are only a fraction of what the chapter does. (Photo was taken by Elijah Penn) While the battlefield was roped off for the safety of the onlookers, in the heat of battle, the fighters would sometimes get close to the boarders. (Photo was taken by Elijah Penn) Thomann remarked that she would absolutely attend this event again but wished it had occurred earlier in the year before the hot sun made the open Kirk Lawn an unpleasant place to remain for the three-hour event. She liked the idea of having local organizations and vendors demonstrate and sell their good on the campus and hopes to see more events like that in the future. The event showcased local opportunities and organizations that students can become involved with to learn more about history in a hands-on and interactive way. It put into perspective the realities of pre-1600s life through the passionate retelling and recreation of chapter members. “I was inspired to look more into the club and time period. I already have an affinity for the Middle Ages, and this event made me wish to learn more about it,” said Thomann.