Is the Society for Creative Anachronism a cult?

[Anonymous]

I have a youngish relative who disappeared into his SCA "family" several years ago and has completely cut off contact with his real family. I know most people see it as play acting but now I wonder.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

My cousin is super active in it - she's happy, employed, and connected to her friends and family outside the organization.

[Anonymous]

Super nerds to the nth degree, but not a cult. Now there may be a subgroup that takes things too far. Kinda like how Christianity has subgroups that take it too far.

[Anonymous]

Ha, no, not at all. There is no cutting people off from their family and friends or education or resources etc... but it does offer a network of like minded friends, who may not have felt like they had a place in the world previously.

[Anonymous]

No, not a cult. It sounds like your young relative had family problems or did not fit in and went looking for a new "family" to help them.

I know the feeling, but did not cut off contact with my family of origin, even though several therapists thought it would be a good idea.

[Anonymous]

The organisation as a whole is not a cult, but some of its practices allow (or perhaps even encourage) the formation of small groups within it which have many of the features of cults: a charismatic leader who sets more stringent rules than the overall organisation, demands loyalty, controls communication into and out of the subgroup, and gains benefit from the acts of people within the group.

Some of the activities like the combat-related ones promote strong group bonding and adrenaline/endophorin rushes the same as any intense group sporting activity, and some of the ceremonial stuff is quite emotionally powerful - neither of these is dangerous in itself, but they can be a little addictive and add to the appeal of staying within the group even when there are negative aspects.

None of this is dangerous in itself, but it does attract and can easily exploit and further damage emotionally vulnerable people who are looking for a sense of belonging. Bullying is fairly common, in my experience, and I left because of it.

It is possible that none of this is relevant to your relative. I'd certainly take a hard look at the family of origin to see if there were good reasons for running "away" from them as opposed to "to" the SCA. Mind you it could be both.

[Anonymous]

Not when I was in high school/college.

[Anonymous]

Nope. Just a club that attracts a lot of creative an interesting misfits.

What I remember is that they were a fairly inclusive group.

[Anonymous]

Huh, people can believe whatever they want about any group gathering together. A club is just a club and you got to pay to get a membership card just like joining a gym (are gyms a cult?) Their are members from all walks of life, it is very diverse. Mostly, it is what it says Society (people being social) of Creative (people being creative) Anachronisms (bringing the ideas of the past into the present). Recreating the middle ages from 600ad to 1600ad, the Renaissance Pleasure Fairs pick up where the SCA leaves off. They are actually incorporated, they have a board of directors. You come and go as you please. My family and other friends I know have played on and off for thirty years, the friends you make miss you if you leave, but they don't hunt you down or threaten you to come back. Just people who are interested in learning about the history of the world and making arts and crafts in a historically correct way. The sword fighting is just like taking a college fencing class or a martial arts class. It is like being in a large Theatre group, you put on costumes and act. A bit more than Nerds and Geeks going to some convention, but still the same kind of feel, its fun and there is something for the whole family. The children love it and also a lot of grandparents too. So if you want to educate yourself on how to run a spinning wheel or a loom, how to die wool, how to make your own bow and arrows, or even make a sword from scratch. Learn recipes from the old world, hand stitch a garment, embroider, knit, make felt, make shoes, make hats, and many other such things. Or just learn how to play the original game of chess, and other board and dice games from the past. I've seen members build Viking boats from scratch, build miniature castles in their back yards, and build their own furniture. It is a place to learn how not to be dependent on technology. With that said, just like any other organization, and because it is such a diverse group, well people have their own ideas and beliefs, and sometimes issues come up. However, the fun of this club always outweighs any drama someone might try to pull. My family just stays away from those people and ignore stuff like that. We are in it because we love learning and enjoy the camping and the feasts.

[Anonymous]

Never heard of it until now. Looks pretty neat. There are people who role play all sorts of stuff. Civil War, the World Wars reenacting is popular. Heck people even pretend they’re animals (furies, anyone?) or comic book superheroes and spacemen and that’s all based on make-believe. At least SCA from what I just read strives to be based on real history.

[Anonymous]

I briefly dated a guy who was into SCA. He said that for some people, SCA became more real to them than their real life - they wanted to live in the SCA world. It didn’t sound cultish though, more like escapism. But for many others, it is just a fun activity.

[Anonymous]

My BIL belonged to that. It wasn't a cult; honestly, it sounded both really nerdy and really fun.

[Anonymous]

This is a group of people yet there is a dark side to a few members . They prey on weak minded people . This group turned a family member away from family . They also brainwashed her to turn over all her assets. If you have a weak minded family member stay away for people saw what was happening and allowed the dark side to take over a human . When she had a terminal death diagnosis they steped up their game and seized anything possible . Being Christian they are forgiven yet have to live with their actions.

[Anonymous]

It's always the people who have not yet been taken advantage of, hat put down others who have had this experience; as if it is their fault.
So self-centered, so unfeeling; you'll do well in the SCA, no doubt!