The Arts and Sciences are a very important part of the SCA; while the martial arts provide much of the flash and ceremony, the Arts and Sciences make us more than just a martial arts club, it makes us a Medieval Society. Costumes, artwork, banners, heraldry, and yes, arms and armour are all part of the Arts and Sciences, and must be researched to make them as true to the Medieval originals we try to emulate.

On the combat field, the Order of Chivalry, Knighthood, is the highest accolade. In the Field of Arts and Sciences, the Order of the Laurel, given after years of apprenticeship and work in the field, is the highest honour. Like knighthood, the order of the Laurel is an order of Peerage in the SCA, equal in rank, and carrying with it rights such as consultation with the monarch, voting on Kingdom level business, and of course, the elevating of new members to your order.

Arts and Science competitions, held at least one per year in each Kingdom, are the "tournaments" for artisans and craftsmen; your chance to display your prowess in your chosen field. Projects such as costumes, armour, brewing, calligraphy, and any other craft project, are entered into the competition and judged on a point system. Awards are given for the entrants with the most points in each category, or sometimes for all categories, but more importantly, your work is available for inspection by the members of the Order of the Laurel, who will take note of you efforts.

A person excelling in any Art or Science who shows persistent interest will then probably start getting awards; first local, then Principality, then Kingdom, and finally, the Order of the Laurel.

Research and documentation are the heart of the activities of the Society's artisans and scholars, whose goal is the re-creation of the crafts and artefacts of the Middle Ages. Documentation is required for kingdom arts competitions; no undocumented work will be judged. Documentation serves several purposes; it is a record of what you did and why, and it should teach the viewer something about the Middle Ages. And it should enable a judge to evaluate your work, especially with respect to authenticity. Documentation is easier if you do your research before you make your entry.

Your documentation of a piece for an arts competition should tell what the piece is, when and where it fits into the Middle Ages, what you made it from, how you made it, and what original piece(s) you based it on. You should explain your decisions to vary from your examples. You should also include references for the sources which led you to your design, materials, and techniques. The right form for this is the footnote form you learned in school, i.e.,

Book:

Smith, John, Everything you Ever Wanted to Know About the Middle Ages but were Afraid to Ask, (New York: Big City Press, 1985), pp. 12-13.

Article:

Smith, John , "A Quick Look at the Middle Ages", in Medieval World magazine, issue 44 (Spring, 1988), pp. 33.

Primary Source:

Froissart, Chronicles, translated by Geoffrey Brereton, Penguin Classic Edition, London: Penguin Books, 1968, pp. 212- 214.

Art:

Zemling, Hans. from "Martyrdom of St. Bob", oil on wood, c. 1498, now at the Bayerschnitzel museum in Wiesbaden, Germany.

The important things are; first, to give credit where credit is due, and second, to include all the information that another person will need to find the source themselves.

It is your responsibility to evaluate your sources. Authors do make mistakes and they don't always know what they are talking about (for instance, any book written on arms and armour dating from before 1920 should be viewed with scepticism). Prefer primary to secondary sources. Briefly, a primary source is something made or written during the time period you're researching; a book about cooking written in the fifteenth century is a primary source for fifteenth-century recipes. A book about fifteenth-century cooking written in the nineteenth century is a secondary source. A book written in the fifteenth century about fourteenth century armour is a secondary work on fourteenth-century armour, but a primary source for fifteenth-century knowledge about armour.

Here are some clues to help you decide if the author's information is good: there are footnotes and photo captions that give his sources; the author is a professional (archaeologist, professor, museum curator); there is a bibliography; the book is published by a university press. None of these is a guarantee, but they are indicators.

Documentation for Arts and Science projects should be brief, and should fit onto a single sheet of paper; neatly printed or typed (no calligraphy, please!) Attach photographs or photocopies of your artistic sources where appropriate, and don't forget to keep a copy for yourself!

For more information, contact the officer of Arts and Science.

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