1993_10 Insight October 1993

              Page 4
Insight/California State University, Fresno
October 20,1993
Escape modem times by dancing with the medievalists
Maidens in distress
and knights of honor
dance we night away.
By Matt Soby	
StaffWriter
Lady Gwendolyn Dylwin
Llwclyn swung herself left, passed
between two people, turned and
Three other dancers followed
suit by watching Lady Gwendolyn
and dancing their steps in unison
with hers.
Adding to the scene, the CSUF
Amphitheater grounds were
shrouded in dark — wind coursed
though the night
A group of four people danced to
harp and recorder music; they were
hand-in-hand, twirling around and
bowing to each other.
A few members of the Society of
Creative Anachronism were practicing their recreation of dance steps
from the period between 600-1600
A.D.
Four dancers reacted as Carol
Baldwin, the lead dancer known as
Lady Gwendolyn, called out the commands, "left, right left, together and
rise."
The dancers swung left or right in
unison, their cotton and linen garments billowed out and fanned into
wispy shapes.
Dominantcolorsofrcdandblue
complimented white shirts and
frilly, doily-like cuffs and collars.
Wayne Barber, die sole male
dancer, had a brown sash and a
squire-like hat
Some of the female dancers
wore long, two-piece costumes,
loose blouses under heavy-looking dresses.
The dance steps were showy,
yet reserved — furtive glances lo
one side accompanied laugh ter and
merrimenL
"The dances during this period
were all for flirting; it was to show
off the women. They wore nice
clothes and paraded around,"
Baldwin said.
These dances are translated from
books published in 1582 and 1604
Baldwin said.
"One isanltalian book and thcothcr
is an Old English book.
These arc collections of dances from
an era before book publishing; over
the years, the dances were passed down
from generation to generation and finally compiled into books.
Baldwin learned ihe dance techniques from a dance master in
RidgecresL Calif.
The society "lives life as it was."
"Except we use toothbrushes and
flush toilets," said Wendy Creek, a
society dancer.
Anyone interested in escaping
today's culture should contact
Carol Baldwin at 294-1832 for
more information about how they
too can recreate the period between 600-1600 A.D.
The SCA dances and fights every month.
At 3 pjn., Sunday, Oct. 17, a
practice fight will take place at
Rotary Park at Sierra and Cedcr
avenues.
The next big gathering of the
Medievalists will beat the Renaissance Festival at the St. Paul
Newman Center in Fresno on Oct.
30 and 31.
Closer to home, at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 2, the SCA will dance at
the CSUF Amphitheater.
Fresnans reside in "Nordwache" ofthe "Kingdom of Caid"
Take a magical trip to a
time long past, and
share a drink and dance.
By Matt Soby
StaffWriter
Prithee, sire, do enter our humble
inn as the fog is upon the marsh; from
whence you came is of no concern;
the mead is warm and die company is
jolly.
Tether your horse and turn out your
bed; then to the kitchen where a casdc
guard and a herald await your company.
Crafts, beer, customs, personages
and sword fights complete the Society of Creative Anachronism's recreation of the Medieval and Renaissance period.
The days of casdes, maidens and
knights aren't over, they surround
everyone.
Twelve kingdoms have formed internationally.
"When I joined, there were three or
four kingdoms," Wayne Barber said.
Everything is recreated. There arc
divisions of kingdoms into baronies
(analogous to counties); a hierarchy
of royalty, knights and common folk
are even a part of the international
society.
"We have a king and queen,
knights, squires - you get advanced
through the ranks," Baldwin said.
Beneath your feet is the kingdom
of Caid, it extends from Modesto to
the Mexico border and to Hawaii and
New Zealand said Baldwin.
"We have a king
and queen,
knights,
squires—you get
advanced
through the
ranks"
—Carol Baldwin
"Lady Gwendolyn"
Caid is subdivided into numerous
baronies, Nordwache (German for
north watch) encompasses Tulare,
Kings and Fresno counties.
Nordwache is aptly named because
it is the northernmost border of the
Caid kingdom.
The king may get caught without
clothes, but the anachronists will always have something to wear.
Everyone has a wardrobe of the
period's clothes that they made or a
professional outfitter made.
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Dance dresses may
be of cotton and wool
for cool nights and
informal       social
events.
Silk and velvet are
the   vestments   of
choice during high-
class social events or
when recreating a
ballroom dance scene
at the casdc.
"Everyone has seasonal dresses," Carol
Baldwin said.
What anachronists
wear depends on who
they arc in the time
period.
An integral part of
recreating the period
is for the anachronists
to shed their modem
self and pick a persona that is distinctly
their own.
"People pick who
they arc, they pick a
name, an age, where
they came from, an
occupation and a personal story as to how
they got to where they
arc," Baldwin said.
Lady Gwendolyn
Dylwin    Llwelyn,
from Wales, circa
1490. is a dance mis-
tressandlady-in-wait-'
ing to a baroness. .
Lady Gwendolyn
"receives objects presented to the baroness
and ensures ihat the
baroness has everything she needs," said
Baldwin who is Lady
Gwendolyn.
Many people from
all different ages
mingle together; a
friend of Lady
Gwendolyn's is an
1100 A.D. guard fora
court in the Byzantine
empire, who ended up
in England.
With so many
people living different cultures and coming together, participants leam languages
like Italian, German,
Gaelic, along with   Carol Baldwin, left, and Mai^retSiradirecreatea scene from UKperiod60J>1600AJ3.WayneBarberawaitshiscuetOjoin.
dances, customs and
foods of many countries.
For instance, one can become a
herald and research names and devices (coat of arms). "They ensure
your persona and device is unique,"
Baldwin said.
Baldwin'scoat of arms wasa white
swan and a red background.
"I had tochangc this because someone in England has this already. Now
the device on my shield is two white
swans facing each other with a red
Welsh dragon below," Baldwin said.
When someone joins the SCA, ihcy
aren't left to aimlessly wander ihc
Arts&
Entertainment
Briefs
(■iiiiiiimiii:
Horsln'Around
CSUF Horse Show Club
members will travel to Pomona
this weekend (Oct 22) to compete in an intercollegiate horse
show.
Western and English riding
styles will be exhibited with
aorne English riders showing
their horse-jumping skills.
All riders are judged on posture, control, and rhythm with
the horse.
UCLA archaeology trip
A bus trip back in time to
leam how ancient lords of Peru
lived and view adornments of
for OcT^bVd^SUF a£
thropology Club.
Objects from the royal tombs
of Sipan, an area on the north-
em coast of Peru, will be shown
at the Fowler Museum of Cultural History on theUCL Acam-
pus through Jan. 2.
The Moche culture, which
includes Sipan, dates back to
100 — 300 AJ>. and is best
known for its ceramics, according to James Kus, CSUF professor.
Many gold, silver and copper burial objects and shell collars will also be on display at
the museum.
Another cxhibiL "Ceramics
of Ancient Peru" is on display
concurrendy with the Sipan
exhibit.
The bus trip, also sponsored
by the Fresno County Archaeological Society and the central
valley chapter of the Archaeological Institiutc of America,
leaves CSUF at 7 a.m. and returns at 10 p.m.
The cost of the trip, including a mid-morning snack, is
$30 for students and $40 for
non-students.
For more information, call
278-5736.
"Cotton" book signing
The author and ihe illustrator
of "Working Cotton," a story of
a migrant family's life in the
cotton fields of Fresno, will hold
a book signing in the Kennel
Bookstore from 10am. to 11:30
a,m„ Wednesday, Oct 20.
Author Shirley Anne Williams, an award-winning fiction
writer, playwright and poet,
based the story partly on her
childhood experiences and her
work in "The Peacock Poems,"
a National Book Award nominee.
Illustrator CaroleByard twice
won the Coretta Scott King
award and has received several
grants and endowments for her
childrcns books.
English countryside.
"Newcomer classes and eti-
queucclassesarc taught. You leam
how and when to bow to the king
and queen and call them 'Your
Majesty'," Baldwin said.
Baldwin is an etiquette teacher.
She prefers to bring in a few "converts" at a time because it's easier
to teach that way.
All of this can be experienced
by anyone so desirous. Call 294-
1832 and ask for Carol Baldwin.
Come dance, drink wine and
mead and joust die day away.
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Fashion Fair
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