Drygestan, Shire - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Welcome to the Current Middle Ages!


Drygestan is one of the Shires in the Kingdom of the Outlands (a kingdom which spreads throughout Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska) of the Society for Creative Anachronism, a Medieval and Renaissance recreation society. The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a group dedicated to researching and recreating the Middle Ages in the present day. Many groups meet weekly or monthly, and at these meetings we dance, talk, study, learn, revel, and make plans.

On these pages, you will find information on the Shire of Drygestan, which is mundanely located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and includes other area towns, such as Los Alamos, Las Vegas, and Espanola.

The avowed purpose of the SCA is to study and recreation of the European Middle ages, its crafts, sciences, arts, traditions, literature, etc.  The SCA "period" is defned to be Western civilization between 600 and 1600 AD.  Under the aegis of the SCA we study dance, calligraphy, martial arts, cooking, metalwork, stained glass, costuming, literature...well, if they did it, somebody in the SCA does it.  Members of the populace of the Blasted Tree are interested in many pursuits: armored combat, rapier combat, archery, embroidery, costuming, spinning and weaving, ethnic and court dancing, and much more.  For more information about particular pursuits, please go to the Officers' tab to find out whom the local contact is for certain activities or contact the Hospitaller; she can help you find your niche in Drygestan.

The SCA was started in 1966 in Berkeley, California by a group of science fiction and fantasy fans who got together to discuss the idea of a medieval re-creation and re-enactment group.  The Californians incorporated as a non-profit educational society, started forming groups, and away they went.  Since 1966, the society has grown to include over 24,000 paying members in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, sweden, Finland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Romania, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.  The SCA is a feudal, merit-based, society.  The SCA's "Knowne World" is divided into nineteen Kingdoms each with a King and Queen (who rule by right of arms), a Crown Prince and Princess (heirs to the throne), and a council or curia of great officers who handle the day-to-day business of running the kingdom. 

The Shire of Drygestan hosts a monthly populace meeting, where members of the populace meet to discuss activities of the Shire and learn about what other folks are working on.  This meeting is held on the first Wednesday of each month, beginning at 7PM, at the Oliver La Farge Library's community room, at 1730 Llano street, in Santa Fe.  As this meeting place is arranged on a month-to-month basis, please heed the Drygestan list-serv  (www.groups.yahoo.com/group/drygestan_shire) or contact the Seneschal for confirmation of this.

The Shire of drygestan also hosts a weekly "fighter practice."  Fighter practice is also held at THLord Boleslav's workshop, at 1252 Calle de Comercio, off of Rufina Lane, in Santa Fe.  For more information on this activity, please visit the "Combat Activities" tab.

General Directions to Shire Meeting:
Take your best route to the intersection of St. Michaels Drive and Llano Street in Santa Fe.  Turn south on Llano Street and, after De Vargas Middle School, turn right into the parking lot of the library.  If you've reached Siringo Road, you've gone too far. 

General Directions to Fighter Practice:
Take your best route to the intersection of Cerrillos Road and Siler Road in Santa Fe. Turn north on Siler Road and then turn east on Rufina Lane.  Then turn north on Calle de Comercio and the workshop is about half-way down the street, on the left (it's the shop with the blue doors).

Newcomers' Information
Newcomers, either to the SCA, our Kingdom, or our Shire, please contact our Hospitaller for more information; her contact information is provided in the Officers tab.

Officers:
Contact information for our officers is provided as a service to our populace and visitors.  Please, if a phone number is listed, call the officer before 9PM Mountain Time.