This is a new Guild in the Kingdom of Lochac, so please be patient while we get started. In the meantime, here is the answer to some likely questions:
Where is the name from?
The name is based on Henry VIII’s ballad in which he mentions hunting; singing; dancing; all goodly sport; mirth and play. Lochac already has guilds that cover singing and dancing, so this guild will focus on “all goodly sport … and play”.
What is the purpose of the Guild?
To encourage the study, discussion and playing of pre-Industrial games from all cultures. The guild’s timeline has no start date and covers all eras through to the SCA “grey-period”, i.e. mid-17th century.
What sort of cultures do you plan to represent?
All cultures includes Africa, Europe, Scandinavia, The Levant, Middle East, Far East, South East (known as the Spice Islands in period), Asian Sub-Continent and the Americas, North & South. Note: the very north coast of Australia was mapped by several cartographers at the end of the SCA period (1500s)*. Therefore, any who wish to research games known to the inhabitants of Australia pre 17th are welcome to add there research here.
*There is evidence of recognition of a land south of Java and New Guinea and north of Antarctica between 1492 and 1606, by the Portuguese, Spanish and French. Several of these maps have a large or ‘great’ island that is Australia with the earliest of these dated 1530. See George Collingridge’s book for more details.
What type of games will you include?
- Physical games played either indoors or out of doors, including but not limited to stick and ball games, racquet games (e.g. Royal Tennis), hoop games (as in Bruegel not basket-ball), ring and music games, kite flying, and other active games that have been recorded in writing or archaeological records.
- Mental games played either indoors or out of doors, including but not limited to board games, card games, tile games and parlour games that have been recorded in writing or archaeological records.
- Other games such as SCA created games, or later period games adopted by SCAdians, although these are to be referred to as modern SCAdian games or adaptations of period games and no authenticity is to be implied. This is including but not limited to Kubbs, Tablero de Jesus, Heraldic Twister, Race Around the Known World, etc.
What won’t be included?
- No real gambling is to occur (as we do not have a gambling licence and gambling has mundane financial world implications). “Gambling” may be done with counters or matchsticks or the like, and can never imply a real world debt.
- Games are not to be used to encourage the over consumption of alcohol, which is illegal under Federal and State law. Of course, consenting adults may choose to play drinking games, however the Guild and its members will not encourage this. Like Henry we will virtue use and vice refuse. Children will be able to join the Guild, and they must never be offered alcohol at all.
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