Dragon Slayer Suit of Armor

Why Wearable Armor?

More than likely, if you have come to this page, you have your own answer to why a person would put on a suit of armor. But for the uninitiated, there are both legitimate and fun reasons for wearing replica medieval armor.

First, let us take a look at the serious and very unique sport of medieval re-enactment. The largest group, the Society of Creative Anachronism, or SCA as most call it, was started in Berkeley California in 1966, spreading throughout the U.S. within a few years, as a paid member participation group formed in local groups but governed in three ‘kingdoms’. It now claims over 30,000 members, found throughout the world, even having a group founded on a USS aircraft ship as its own chapter and is an incorporated entity as a non-profit medieval re-enactment organization.

What SCA aims to do boils down to just plain serious fun. Through their efforts to re-enact European culture prior to the 17th century, or as they like to put it, “medieval culture as it should have been,” a widespread interest in the Medieval customs and lifestyle has come to life even outside the organization, resulting in Renaissance Fairs and merchants who make their living by supporting those who wish to live, dress in period armor, eat and talk in the medieval fashions, even if it is once a month on a weekend trip or for costume parties.

Many of these gatherings do feature tournaments and those require armor, wearable armor, so that the participants can not only look like they just stepped off a stage for a Medieval age production but actually have armor and weapons that will stand up under battle conditions. SCA gatherings have strict rules as to armored combat, where the pieces used must meet certain standards and restrictions in order to ensure the safety of its participants. Members participating may even register their own Medieval name and coat of arms in order to safeguard them with the organization.

What other reasons for wearable armor? A story comes to mind that was related to me a few years back concerning a Halloween night of trick-or-treaters arriving at the door of a certain home in Philadelphia. Awaiting them was a fully suited Knight with full visor and posed on the front porch with a basket of candy swinging from his arm. As the children would reach in to grab as much candy as they could, a disembodied voice would float out of that visor, muttering, “take only one or the trick is on you!” which would send the poor child screaming into the street back to its mother, delighted that the Knight was not just a suit of armor, but occupied! This would sometimes require the Knight to break down in complete laughter, throwing open his visor and assure the child that all was well but it was a Halloween night that none of the children, or the Knight, would ever forget!