Monday, April 11, 2011

Sharp and pointy

At the Medieval Fair two weekends ago, George looked around and said, "Everyone should have to come in costume." This was apparently the final push I needed to get us to a Society for Creative Anachronism event, which we had talked about doing every year after Med Fair but had never quite followed through on.

There was an event the following weekend. Unfortunately Dean had a conflict on Saturday, but we went yesterday for the archery tournament. We really didn't know what to expect. As it turned out, there was also a "thrown weapons" tournament in which anyone could participate.

So we did.













It was a three part event -- you threw knives, axes, and spears, and your cumulative total determined the final standing. Dean threw all three parts before I thought to get out the camera. George threw all three weapons. I threw knives only. Charlotte threw knives and spears; we decided she was too small for the axe, to the relief of the marshal who was clearly preparing to tell us so if we weren't bright enough to figure it out on our own. Dean and I were quite impressed with their carefulness and concern for safety.


You know an event was successful if the kids want to recreate it at home. George went out to the garage after finishing his homework and scrounged up some flagpoles to serve as spears; he and I used a hula hoop as a target circle just as they did at the event. That was so much fun that he built a bow out of a broom handle, bungee cord, and duct tape. Amazingly, it shoots. We had a tournament after dinner, complete with a marshal (George) telling us when it was safe to retrieve our weapons and when we were free to shoot.








(Can you see the arrow striking Charlotte's shield?)

We'll be heading out to the archery / thrown weapons practice next Sunday.