MEGAN LEE Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Monday, September 1, 2008 12:00 am
Amid piles of weapons, armor and discarded metal helmets, spectators in tennis shoes and cowboy hats sit in folding chairs with cup holders, waiting for the first sword to strike.
Fighters gather in the field, ready for a skirmish. And this isn't just any fight - it's a traditional Medieval fight complete with chain mail, axes and big sticks.
"What are you going to kill me with today?" one fighter asks another.
"Eh… axe, sword, rubber chicken," says the other.
But it's only jest. Everyone will walk away from battle this day.
This battle, one of many in the Society for Creative Anachronism's weekend of Renaissance reenactment, will inflict no serious or life-threatening wounds.
"We are a living history group that tries to learn, research and teach through reenactment, and actually recreating the original conditions in which a lot of this occurred," said Travis Blankenbaker, persona name Balthazar VonKnopf, a late 15th century German. "And we're out here for fun. We enjoy what we do."
Blankenbaker said his group learns about the Middle Ages through reenacting full-contact combat. The swords are really wooden dowels and the axes hard Styrofoam, but still, they hurt, he said.
A welder by trade and a fan of Medieval armor work, he makes the required armor pieces for himself and builds some for others as well. Armor requirements for battle include rigid knee, elbow, hand and groin protection. Closed-toed footwear is another necessity. All participants are inspected for required armor before they're allowed to participate.
Some people make all of their armor out of metal, but because a full metal armor suit can cost about $5,000, most members opt for plastic and other synthetic materials.
"We want to be authentic but we want to be careful, too," Blankenbaker said. "Of course there's going to be bruises, but I want to make sure it's going to be safe."
In his five years fighting, Blankenbaker said he's never seen anyone seriously injured during combat.
The society does more than fight, he added, noting that the group also enjoys traditional music and crafts. Starting in Berkley, Calif., in 1965, society members began recreating the Middle Ages and now, more than 40 years later, the group has grown into a worldwide organization. More than 200,000 members participate in reenactments around the globe.
As the next set of fighters prepare for battle, they bow to their loved ones, just in case. After all, this is a battle to the death. Today, someone will die. But luckily, their modern-day counterparts will live.
Contact reporter Megan Lee at (307) 266-0589 or megan.lee@trib.com