People in Southwest Missouri have become used to seeing re-enactors portraying Civil War soldiers or western frontier characters or pioneer settlers. However, there is another group of people who enjoy portraying historical characters, but their characters are much beyond early day America.
Members of this "other group" are interested in Medieval history—mostly European history roughly from about 600 to 1600 A. D.
Although the locals have their own "group" or "shire," they are part of a world-wide organization that is dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills in Medieval Europe.
The Society for Creative Anachronism is extremely family oriented. Children are welcome at meetings and many learn interesting skills and crafts at a very early age.
Each member selects his or her own time period to re-create. The goal of members is to study and learn about the time and place of his or her own choosing. Education is the base of the group and classes are often given on such things as cooking, sword fighting, candle making, brewing, archery, bead making, and other everyday activities during that long ago period.
Earnie McKee, the local "Seneschal" (leader), portrays his Irish ancestry. His first craft interest was leather, but now he is working with pewter and hopes eventually to learn silversmithing.
Others in the group are throwbacks to Medieval Germany, Denmark, or England.
According to McKee, men in the group often enjoy the fighting aspects of their hobby.
"I believe most little boys, at one time or the other, dreamed of being a knight on a white horse and fighting alongside King Arthur," McKee said. "I sure did. I just never outgrew that. I got stuck in those old days."
As those interested in wearing chain mail and metal helmets get older, they often give up the fighting and turn to crafts, sometimes making suits of armor or swords to keep their interest in Knighthood.
McKee says the basic idea of these re-creators is to take their interest and follow it back to its source. Everything is on a volunteer basis and everyone can choose what he or she wants to learn more about. Many families have different interests. The husband may choose to be a Viking, while his wife is interested in early Saxons.
Local groups such as the one in Southwest Missouri hold regular meetings where classes are offered and people participate in the crafts and skills they are learning. The public is always invited to attend and visit with the members and ask questions.
The local group "Shire of Crystal Mynes" will hold its August meeting in North Morse Park in Neosho beginning at 2 p.m. on August 8.
"We have fun or I'm sure we wouldn't do it," McKee explained.
For more information, visit www.crystalmynes.info.
