The lords and ladies of the Sleeping Dragon

Shedding suits and ties for chain mail and robes, a group of Montrealers gather in an NDG park to recreate the nobler aspects of the Middle Ages

HAVE AT YOU! Combat at Girouard Park

by ELISABETH FAURE
photos by WILL LEW

If you’re strolling through NDG’s Girouard Park one night and a masked man charges towards you with a giant sword, don’t panic.

Chances are you’ve stumbled upon a fight session held by a group of Montrealers who belong to the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), an organization dedicated to recreating and re-living the finer aspects of medieval life—no relic-worship or witch-burning involved. The SCA has chapters all over North America and Europe, subdivided according to membership and geography. Montreal, officially a barony, is called L’Isle du dragon dormant.

“We try to recreate the noble life,” explains Lord Brien McShane, Knight Marshall of the Barony. (In real life, Lord McShane is Brian McCulloch, a payroll programmer. But since this article is about his alternate life, we’ll stick to his knightly title.) He’s been an SCA member for years.

While fighting is a big part of the SCA, their mission to recreate medieval life is far more complex. “You also have people who do clothing, people who do cooking, people who make beer and make wine. It’s attractive to any type of person,” says Lord McShane.

No magic, no monsters

Don’t confuse these people with the Dungeons-and-Dragons, World-of-Warcraft crowd. “There is none of that,” says the Lord sternly when asked if members ever play goblins or wizards.

And don’t confuse them with the foam-sword fighters you might have seen on Mount Royal. “Nobody goes out on the field without proper protection,” says Lord McShane.

Here, the fighting is serious. SCA members fight with long and short swords made of rattan, and enormous pole-arms, which resemble huge hockey sticks. Heavy-duty weaponry like this requires serious protective gear—armour is made with heavy padding, hard plastic and chain mail, among other materials. Lord McShane’s armour is custom-made by New Jersey-based armourers Icefalcon.com.

The rules are simple: contact equals amputation. So, if your opponent touches you below the knee, you “lose” your lower leg. If your opponent touches your shoulder, you “lose” your arm. Contact to the head or chest is considered a “kill”.

What happens if a fighter “loses” both of their legs and arms? Do they give up, or do stubborn knights ever try to continue, in Monty-Python-esque fashion? “No, that doesn’t happen,” says Lord McShane.

Like many SCA members, Lord McShane says the chivalry of the knight life appeals to him. But what about all the less-than-ideal facets of medieval life? “Oh, we’re recreating the best things about the Middle Ages,” says Lady Jordan Lovatt (real name: Barbara Lyon), the group’s Seneschal (head secretary/accountant). She assures me that all SCA members brush their teeth, and that Lords do not mistreat their manservants.

“I’m not gonna lie, I love playing dress-up, putting on a princess dress,” admits Lady Jordan (who has also been known to suit up and brandish a sword). She views it as a nice change from a Monday-to-Friday existence in casual wear.

THE NEW FACES OF CHIVALRY:
(L to R) Baron Pellandres, Lord Ulrich and Lord Brien

Mutton and rank

SCA events take place every weekend at outdoor venues across North America, and in the summer are usually camping affairs, lasting all weekend. Members go the whole nine yards, attending in full garb, eating from a medieval menu (consisting of authentic dishes like mutton and mince), and competing in tournaments. There are also arts and crafts (know as “stitch and bitch”) sessions, traditional calligraphy and Renaissance music as well. Prizes are awarded for exceptional fighting and artistry. The biggest event of the year is the Crown Tournament, taking place at a different location twice a year. The most recent tournament was held in the Eastern Townships village of Ste-Hermenegilde. The next one will take place in Vermont.

Lord John Radburne (John Wiens) is a Renaissance musician who recently won a top prize at an SCA event. His award? Sadly, with gold and silver pieces apparently in short supply, Lord Radburne had to settle for a scroll. “It honours me for my ability to handle a rapier,” he explains. What does his girlfriend think of his ability to handle a rapier? “She absolutely loves it—and if she’s lying, I don’t want to know!”

Just as no kingdom would be complete without a king, no barony would be complete without a baron. Pellandres (who asked that his real name not be used to spare his family) is the Baron of L’Isle du dragon dormant. He’s been involved in the SCA since 1992. His current five-year term as Baron is drawing to a close, with a new baron to be appointed in October.

Hierarchy within the SCA is somewhat complicated—all members are granted the title of “Lord” or “Lady” when they join (no serfs here). But as for more advanced titles, “That’s WAAAY more complicated,” says Lady Jordan. Some titles (such as baron) are granted by the king upon the recommendation of local residents—others (such as king or queen) are won by competing in the annual Crown Tournament, or awarded for special achievement in a specific activity. All official positions come with term limits. Kings and queens must first serve a six-month term as prince or princess—similar to a vice-presidential role—before assuming the throne. And if you want to be king, it’s gonna cost you: monarchs have to tour their kingdoms for the duration of their reign. The reigning monarch of the East Kingdom, incorporating L’Isle du dragon dormant, has a lot of work ahead. The kingdom is composed of 30 shires, 16 baronies, one crown principality and one province. Baron Pellandres is philosophical about the end of his reign. He says he’s looking forward to letting go of his official responsibilities in return for a more active role in SCA.

Love on the battlefield

In real life, the Baron works at a credit card company and says he’s attracted to the nobility of medieval life. “We try to mix that dream that we live of having a society that is more virtuous... I dream of the time when what you said had meaning, “ he says. “Nowadays, people don’t always care about what they say... One’s word doesn’t have the same value.”

Several significant events have taken place under the Baron’s leadership, the most notable being that Montreal was upgraded from a fiefdom to a barony in March 2005.

“It took 20 years,” says the Baron. He says that this was an unusually long time for such an upgrade, but hints that political infighting held the process back.

Achieving barony status was cause for celebration. The Baron compares Montreal’s metamorphosis with that of Trois-Rivières, which recently became a fiefdom. “Trois-Rivières got their real fiefdom-hood last spring,” he says. “It was really nice to see, because they worked so long for that.”

The SCA made a profound impact on the Baron’s life in more ways than one. “There is a Baroness,” he says. The two met through the SCA. “She used to be a fighter,” he says, remembering that she made a strong first impression: “She almost broke my nose.”

Nine years and two kids later, the Baron and Baroness make sure the young’uns follow in their footsteps. Their five-year-old wears chain mail to SCA events, and their five-month-old wears swaddling.

Their story is not unusual within the Barony: the SCA often pulls double-duty as a dating service. Many couples say they met while attending SCA tournaments. When knights go to battle, they do so in their Lady’s name.

LOOKS’T THOU AT ME? Baron Pellandres ready for action

Olde-style ass whuppins

So, why does Montreal’s Barony congregate in NDG? What makes the home of the Cosmos Mish-Mash, Maz karaoke nights and 24-hour D.A.D.’s Bagels appeal to these medievalists? Turns out, it’s pretty much all about location, location, location. “All the highways lead here,” explains the Baron. This makes NDG an ideal gathering place for all the SCA members in Montreal. Fighting events and fencing take place in Girouard Park, and archery and arts and crafts are held at the nearby Wesley United Church.

The laid-back attitude of local residents doesn’t hurt, either. “They’re used to us,” says Lord McShane. “A lot of the time, especially in the summertime, they’ll walk by and take pictures—I don’t know how many pictures I’ve had taken of me,” he says.

Throughout their practice, members are approached by park-goers, from skateboarding kids and local rummies to young families (kids are especially fascinated, according to Lord Brien). Some observers are so intrigued that they end up joining the movement. If you feel like kicking it Olde School, Lord McShane always makes sure that there’s an extra set of armour handy for a bystander who might want in on the action (this writer politely declined the offer).

You’ll need that armour. “They (newcomers) see me and think, ‘He’s not a big guy, he’ll be easy to beat,’” says the Baron. “Then, I kick their ass.”

WOULD-BE LORDS AND LADIES CAN
VISIT THE GROUP’S WEBSITE AT DRAGON-
DORMANT.ORG. BUT IF YOU’RE
PLANNING TO STOP BY A PRACTICE AT
THE PARK, E-MAIL AHEAD OF TIME—
LAST-MINUTE RAIN WARNINGS MEAN
PRACTICES MAY BE RESCHEDULED.
THEIR NEXT BIG EVENT IS OCTOBER’S
ANNUAL FALL HARVEST. A VENUE IS
YET TO BE DETERMINED, SO JOIN THE
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