Lexicon - What was that you said?   

Every sub-culture has its own language.  Engineers speak tech, doctors speak med-speak, kids speak, well, who knows what.  The same is true of the SCA.  Sometimes this makes it hard for newcomers to understand everything going on around them. In some cases these terms are drawn from the language of the Middle Ages. In others they arise from the world of fantasy or the vivid imagination of our members.  Some words or phrases refer to everyday items and others to specialized circumstances within the SCA. Some of our words will be familiar to you from other contexts but have different meanings, some will be be totally new.  This lexicon is a small attempt at helping you break the code.

Anachronism A thing out of place in time
Autocrat Person in charge of an event. "0-crat" is also often added to other words to indicate the person in charge of that aspect of the event such as Feast-o-crat or Camp-o-crat
Award of Arms  A recognition of worth given by the Crown, confers the right to call oneself Lady or Lord. See the Heralds for more explanation. Other kingdom level awards include: Goute de Sang, Jambe de Lion. For explanations of our local Baronial awards see Awards
Baldrick A strip of cloth worn diagonally over one shoulder to waist. Usually bears an heraldic device or charge identifying the wearer as a member of a specific group such as Constabulary or a household.
Banner: A flag, usually hanging vertically, decorated with a symbol of you personally, such as your device, or representing a group you belong to. And sometimes just pretty.
Bardic  Bardic Circle Bardic Fire A gathering for the purpose of entertainment, often around a fire, participation, as an individual or in sing along is highly encouraged. May be formally organized with a sign up sheet but often just a time and place provided for spontaneous performance.
Bards: Persons who provide entertainment, like pretty much everything in the SCA, volunteers. Bards include, singers, dancers, storytellers, musicians of all types, puppeteers, actors, jugglers and other entertainers. Bard in a box - tape or cd player, also a radio See the Bardic Guild Page for information on local activities
Biffy Bathrooms especially port-a-potties, also guarderobes, honey bucket, etc..
Branch A local unit of the SCA. Branches have different status based on size and sometimes organizational style. Cantons, Shires, Baronies and Colleges are types of branches.
Corpora By-laws of the organization
Court An official  formal gathering at an event, presided over by the King/Queen, other royalty or Baron/Baroness. Official announcements, presentation of awards and prizes, assorted types of ceremonies and sometimes entertainments are common activities.  Smaller branches occasionally will have an autocrat's or seneschal's court when ceremonial heads are not available.
Crown, The King and Queen, usually used to convey the authority and power of Their Majesties as in: "By command of the Crown." Coronet is sometimes used in the same context to indicate Baronial heads. 
Day-Trip Visiting an event for just the day without making an encampment on site. Multi-day events sometimes have a lower fee for day-trippers but do not expect it.
Device A Heraldic design used to represent an individual - See Device Gallery for examples.
Dragon: A disputed slang term used to mean a car or other transportation. Many people feel it gives too much of a fantasy feel to the SCA rather than a historical feel since real dragons had no place in day to day life of the Middle Ages. Cart, wagon or carriage are also used.
"The Dream" The idealized image of what the Middle Ages should have been and that we strive to create.
Encampment: Your home away from home at events. Usually a pavilion or tent but could also be  simple crash space, an RV or even a motel room.
Eric Area designated for fighting, usually roped off, only participants in the fighting, heralds and marshals should enter this area
Event An organized gathering outside of regularly scheduled meetings, open and advertised to the entire kingdom, may be a tourney, feast, competition or court. Wearing medieval style clothing is required and usually some sort of fee to attend. Official branches are required to hold events, the number varies with branch status. See our Events Page for info on local events
Feast: A sit-down meal and social occasion as informal as a few friends sharing the contents of their coolers or as grand as hundreds gathered in a candle-lit hall, often includes entertainment. For more information on feasts see: You're Going to a Feast. Now What?
Filk A song, usually new lyrics reflecting SCA or medieval culture attached to a well known tune although sometimes the reverse.  This technique was also used in period. See the Filk Files for more information
Garb Clothing, specifically your attempt at pre-17th century clothing.
Heavy Heavily armored fighter most commonly armed with sword and shield See Heavy Hijinks for more information
Hold In general use as a shout of warning of unsafe conditions. Should you hear "hold" shouted, stop, and look around for possible danger before proceeding. Originally and still used by the marshals to call for a cessation of action on the eric or war field primarily for safety.
In Period: A phrase that refers to how things would have been done during the Middle Ages.
Known World The medieval structure of the SCA as a whole.
Light Armored Fighter (mostly for wars) armed with missile weapons
Lists, the The rolls of combat, to be entered in the 'lists' for the tournament you must officially sign up at the Lists table.
Mundane Of the modern world, can refer to almost anything outside of our historical period or common SCA usage.
Out of Period Refers to something that did not exist or would not have been used in the Middle Ages
Peers Members of the Orders of the Chivalry, the Laurel and/or the Pelican. Royalty, past and present are often called Royal Peers.
Persona The "person" you are within the SCA - See Persona Points for more information
SCA period Items or customs not actually used in the Middle Ages but accepted in SCA play for various reasons. Particularly things like coffee, chocolate and duct tape
Smalls Children - Some people feel this term is improper as children would simply have been called children in period and the word smalls was sometimes used to mean underwear.
Stick-jock A fighter, most commonly a heavy combatant often used in a humorous or slightly derogatory context.  Also sometimes used as a pejorative.
Tourney/ Tournament Specifically an organized competition consisting of combat between individual fighters, generally an outdoor event featuring a tournament. Also used as a verb or an adjective.

 Return to:  Newcomer's Nook  or  Home Page