| The Canton of Vanished Wood is a
local branch of the Society for Creative
Anachronism, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the study and
celebration of the Middle Ages the way they should have been — no plague, no
religious persecution and the latest innovations in bathroom plumbing. Geographically the canton is based in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago, and
is a canton of the
Barony of Ayreton
which covers all of Cook, Dupage, Will and Kane counties. Every week we join our companions from
Canton of Tree-Girt-Sea,
Canton of Grey Gargoyles,
Canton of Rokkehealden
and
Canton of Foxvale
in all manner of activities, including song, dance, heavy and rapier combat, youth combat, scribal arts,
brewing, vinting and sewing. Let it not be said that there is ever a dull moment in The Barony of
Ayreton! To find out more about what's happening in the area, listen very carefully and
you will hear the frequent proclamations and announcements from the
Ayreton Town Crier.
Our northern border is protected by our friends in the
Shire of Ravenslake, and to our west lies the
Barony of Carraig Ban,
a source of great learning centered around the city of DeKalb. Together we are part of the
Midlands Region of the
Middle Kingdom - the third oldest Kingdom
in the Known World.
Become a Part of History
Anyone is free to join and participate in the SCA, and as a group, we
always welcome pilgrims seeking refuge from the monotony of everyday life. You will find
that the SCA is a great way to make new friends, to discover skills you never thought you
had, and partake in the thrill that is medieval armed combat. It is
also a fun and engaging way to learn about mediaeval and
renaissance history. Not only do members of the society make their own period costumes,
they also study the art of calligraphy, illumination, woodworking, armoring, archery,
swordfighting, brewing, vinting, singing, dancing, cooking, jewelry making, gardening and
gaming.
If you wish to learn more, then pay a visit to the Chaumburgh Castle,
where you will find our chatelain eagerly awaiting your arrival. You can also delve into
the wealth of information found on both the Middle
Kingdom and SCA websites. Alternatively,
you may shoot an email to any of the canton officers, join our online
discussion group
or attend one of our various meetings.
In the following pages, the intrepid traveler will take a virtual tour
of the canton, meeting various people and hopefully discover a thing or two. Like a
medieval town, you have to wander about in each of the locales, and by exploring, you will
find a host of links and articles to related Medieval topics that we think would be of
interest to you. It is our hope to make your exploring both fanciful and informational, as
is the Society itself, and we hope to continually update and expand these pages as we go.
So pack your bags and take up your walking stick and follow the guide
to the ever shrinking groves of Vanished Wood. |
