The SCA has been described as the largest medieval craft self-help group in the world, and it hit’s the mark. The ethos of sharing one’s knowledge is strong in the shire and society. People join with whatever skills they have and quickly find that there is great opportunity to learn and improve, and if you’re knowledgeable in a subject and are willing, to teach others.

With about 100,000 people participating in SCA activities across the world there is a great wealth of knowledge out there, and with the internet it’s a lot closer to us than you might think. The odds are that any subject that takes your fancy has someone in the SCA willing to share their research and knowledge with you.

In Eplaheimr we practice all the below listed crafts to some extent. Some we know a lot about and are skilled in, others we’re just novices at. From year to year the list keeps growing.

.Bardic arts                         -        Singing, harp playing, guitar, etc.
Calligraphy                          -        Decorative writing styles from period.
Cooking                              -        Preparing period food.                  Costuming                         -          Making the clothes/accessories of the times       Dance                                -          Learning and performing period dances.
Dyeing                               -          Using period materials/techniques to dye fabric
Embroidery & Needlework    -      Period style embroidered & needlework piece Illumination                       -           Period style page decoration, often using gold
Knitting                              -           Period knitting styles and techniques.
Spinning and Weaving       -           Making thread and fabric from raw materials. Armouring                         -           Making period armour Bookbinding                      -           Making period style books by hand.
Bowering                           -           The science of making Bows
Brewing & Vinting             -           People make beer, mead, wines and cordials.
Candle Making                  -        Period style candles from wax and tallow.
Carving                              -      Carving ivory, wood, antler, and bone.
Casting                               -      People cast jewellery, axe heads, candlesticks, etc Ceramics & Pottery             -         Period pottery vessels and art pieces. Fletching                            -         The making of arrows. Gaming                              -        There are hundreds of period games.
Herbalism                          -        Growing herbs and their uses i.e. soaps, dyes etc.
Leatherworking                  -       Making period leather items, bags, boots, belts  Metalworking                     -           Making all sorts of period metal crafts.
 Smithing                     -        Making cutlery and daggers, forged iron or steel items
Wood Working                  -           Period carpentry. Benches, tools, etc.

In the area of period arts and sciences there are hundreds of possible activities.  Any craft, art or skill of period is an option.  Some of the common ones we practice have been listed above.  If you are interested in any art or science (craft)  and need help starting or finding information, you should contact the Shire’s Minister of Arts and Sciences who will direct you to anyone who is already practicing that activity within the group, or failing that he/she will try and find a source of information on the subject for you.

Many subjects have classes or workshops held from time to time for people to share their skills and discuss issues of relevance.  The shire holds weekend events that are teaching events from time to time as well as our weekly Tuesday evening craft meetings.

For hundreds of craft links relevant to the SCA look at http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/