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Honored Values and Valued Objects: the Society for Creative Anachronism

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Honored Values and Valued Objects: the Society for Creative Anachronism AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Althea L. Turner for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Design and Human Environment presented on April 28, 2010. Title: Honored Values and Valued Objects: The Society for Creative Anachronism Abstract approved: Elaine L. Pedersen In this dissertation, I posited the need to understand how an invented community (the Society for Creative Anachronism) constructs symbolic meaning in material objects and value systems. Using ethnographic methods, I focused on the Knights and their regalia as this is the most widely accepted material symbolism. People go to the SCA to find the communitas offered by a fantastical performed history. They create the material culture in order to enhance the atmosphere they seek in their mediated performance of history. This material culture then gains value, as it becomes imbued with the emotional contexts provided by the performance and embodied history. As American culture becomes increasingly fragmented, with place- bound community becoming a thing of the past, it is important to understand how humans adapt. One method of adaptive behavior is the construction of communities around beliefs, hobbies, products, or vocations. The SCA is one such example. © Copyright by Althea L. Turner April 28, 2010 All Rights Reserved Honored Values and Valued Objects: The Society for Creative Anachronism by Althea L. Turner A DISSERTATION Submitted to Oregon State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Presented April 28, 2010 Commencement June 2010 Doctor of Philosophy dissertation of Althea L. Turner Presented on April 28, 2010 APPROVED: Major Professor, representing Design and Human Environment Chair of the Department of Design and Human Environment Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my dissertation will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my dissertation to any reader upon request. Althea L. Turner, Author ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thanks go to my many long-suffering professors, most especially to Elaine Pedersen for putting up with me for so long. I learned so much from all of you. The author expresses her everlasting gratefulness to her two children, Alexander and Meghan for putting up with Mom’s insane schedule. My thanks go out to all of those in the SCA that have helped to make this dissertation a reality. My thanks to Jim and Barbara for braving my rough drafts. My thanks to Luc. You know why. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Introduction................................................................................................... 1 Chapter Two: Literature Review......................................................................................... 8 Culture and Meaning Systems ...................................................................................... ..8 Subcultures.................................................................................................................... 11 Community.................................................................................................................... 14 Tradition........................................................................................................................ 17 Ritual............................................................................................................................. 20 Authenticity................................................................................................................... 24 Nostalgia ....................................................................................................................... 28 Historical Reenactment ................................................................................................. 30 Material Culture ............................................................................................................ 35 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 38 Chapter Three: Method ..................................................................................................... 39 Ethnography .................................................................................................................. 40 Grounded Theory .......................................................................................................... 42 Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................. 44 Data Collection Procedures........................................................................................... 45 Chapter Four: The “Current Middle Ages” Life of Things............................................... 58 Living the Imagined History ......................................................................................... 59 Material Culture .......................................................................................................... 100 Chapter Five: Conclusion................................................................................................ 141 Implications................................................................................................................. 148 Future Research........................................................................................................... 150 Bibliography.................................................................................................................... 152 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................ 163 Appendix One: First set of Interview Questions............................................................. 164 Appendix Two: Second Set of Interview Questions....................................................... 165 Appendix Three: Codebook ............................................................................................ 167 Appendix Four: IRB Documents .................................................................................... 170 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. The author and Sir Gustav as the Prince and Princess of the Principality of the Summits in the Kingdom of An Tir. (author's collection) ................................... 66 2. Scene from a war. (Author's collection)................................................................... 69 3. Viscount Sir Rustam walking off the battlefield. (author's collection).................... 93 4. Adele de Fontane in her first attempt at making SCA garb. (Author’s collection) 109 5. Coat with appliqué and embroidery based on wood carving on the Oseburg burial ship. (Author's collection).................................................................................. 110 6. Coat showing appliqué based on embroidery found on the Mammen cloak. (Author's collection)........................................................................................... 111 7. Sir Olin in his Knighting clothes (Laura-Baker Olin)............................................ 115 8. Prince of the Summits Coronet (Author's collection) ............................................ 130 9. Sir Olin's Knighting with Jarl Dak holding the Oath Ring (Laura Olin-Baker) .... 132 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix Page Appendix One: First set of interview questions………………………………………. 164 Appendix Two: Second set of interview questions…………………………………… 165 Appendix Three: Codebook…………………………………………………………… 167 Appendix Four: IRB documents……………………………………………...……….. 170 Honored Values and Valued Objects: The Society for Creative Anachronism Chapter One Introduction Here do I swear fealty and service to Gondor, and to the Lord and Steward of the realm, to speak and to be silent, to do and to let be, to come and go, in need or plenty, in peace or war, in living or dying, from this hour henceforth, until my lord release me, or death take me, or the world end. So say I, Peregrin, son of Paladin of the Shire of the Halflings. (Tolkien, 1955, p. 14) With these words, Peregrin Took, or “Pippin,” of the Shire, swears fealty and takes service with the Steward of Gondor in a ritual that is rich with symbolic objects and meaning. Pippin is given livery in the colors of Gondor, blazoned with the emblem of the King, and instructed on his duties as a Guard of the Citadel. His change in status is reflected in the clothing and armor he is given by Denethor, Steward of Gondor. Although there is still an arduous journey to complete, he knows that he is different than he was before swearing the oath. The change in clothing is an outward manifestation of the internal change in status and self-awareness. Before, he was Pippin of the Shire, and afterward, he was Master Peregrin, Guard of the Citadel. As Beregond, a plain man of arms told Peregrin, “to be only a man of arms of the Guard of the Tower of Gondor is held worthy in the City, and such men have honour in the land” (Tolkien, 1955, p. 27). 2 While what is valued speaks volumes about the culture, values and valued objects do not exist in a vacuum. Cultural values emerge organically from within the context of the worldview of a culture. Shared cultural traits create bonds between individuals that, in turn, strengthen cultural cohesion. Belief systems, systems of meanings, symbols, and signs are but a few of the areas of study in traditional anthropology. If we are to make sense of a culture, then we must find a way to make sense of what E. B. Tylor (1871) refers
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