Welcome to Altavia
A Barony in the Kingdom of Caid, in the Society for Creative Anachronism
On December 9, 2023 Angel’s and Altavia’s Yule and Feast will be held at
St. Luke’s Episcopalian Church in Monrovia, California!
Please see details here!
Baron Griffith Von Bremen and Baroness Amabel Radleigh
The Barony of Altavia is a local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts, skills, and traditions of pre-17th-century Europe. The Barony of Altavia includes the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, and Malibu, and is part of the Kingdom of Caid which includes Southern California, Greater Las Vegas Area, and Hawaii.
Members of the SCA study and take part in a variety of activities, including combat, archery, equestrian activities, costuming, cooking, metalwork, woodworking, music, dance, calligraphy, fiber arts, and much more. If it was done in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, odds are you’ll find someone in the SCA interested in recreating it. What makes the SCA different from a Humanities 101 class is the active participation in the learning process. To learn about the clothing of the period, you research it, then sew and wear it yourself. To learn about combat, you put on armor (which you may have built yourself) and learn how to defeat your opponent. To learn brewing, you make (and sample!) your own wines, meads and beers. You will frequently hear SCA participants describe the SCA as recreating the Middle Ages “as they ought to have been.” In some ways this is true – we choose to use indoor plumbing, heated halls, and sewing machines. In the dead of winter we have more to eat than King’s venison, salt pork and dried tubers. However, a better description is that we selectively recreate the culture, choosing elements of the culture that interest and attract us.
Altavia News From Their Excellencies
February 2024
Hello Altavia!
It’s been a rainy, wet start to the year, with practices as possible between the wet days. While Consorts Champion was sadly postponed due to the rain, we had a great Unbelted, with over 60 fighters!
We have a busy month coming up with tournament season continuing. We are looking forward to Rapier war this weekend, and hoping for mild weather. We are also planning on taking part in Lyondomere Arts and Archery on Feb 24th and Crown Tournament on March 2nd. We look forward to enjoying a nice variety of formats, and seeing a bunch of people there!
In service to the dream,
Baroness Amabel Radleigh
Baron Griffith von Bremen