Medieval life is alive and well at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the form of the local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism and the Belegarth Medieval Combat Society. Maisie Ramsay of the Capitol Times reports.

It's not often that armoring and cooking cross paths, but Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes has created a cake in the shape of the Sutton Hoo helmet.

Njall Olaf Hagarson (Scott B. Jaqua), of the kingdom of Caid, has announced that he will appear crafting weapons on the Discovery Science Channel's Faces of Earth program on August 9, 2007.

A controversy has arisen over the authenticity of La Tizona, purported to be the sword of legendary Spanish hero El Cid. The sword was purchased recently for UK£1m by authorities in the Castilla Leon region, but others in the Culture Ministry claim that the sword is a fraud.

"The Armored Horse in Europe, 1480–1620," a special exhibit at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, displays the many styles of horse armor popular in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance.

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The Shire of An Dun Theine is partnering with the Huntsville Museum of Art to do a family fun demonstration at the Museum on June 16th, Saturday 1:00 - 4:00. We want to invite all local SCA groups to come out and help kick off the exhibit with grand pageantry and style.

We will begin set up on the lawn of the museum beginning 10:00, but the actual fighting, dancing, and art demonstrations will not begin until Location:
Shire of An Dun Theine (Huntsville, Alabama)

A photo with the image of three knights in armor has been "farked" as part of the Fark.com Photoshop Contest website. The results are pretty amusing.

Goshen, Pennsylvania swordsmith John Lundemo has earned an international reputation as for collectors of steel blades, but 25 years ago, he was just a guy in the SCA learning to fight with wooden swords.

Peter A. Renzetti, AKA "The Unknown Blacksmith" and owner of Arden Forge, is retiring. His shop and all of its contents go on the auction block in mid-May in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Medieval sights and sounds were the order of the day recently when Lynchburg College (Virginia) presented its annual Medieval and Renaissance Evening complete with handsome knights in armor, lovely ladies in long gowns and clever bards. Christa Desrets of the Lynchburg News-Advance has the story.

On his website, French re-enactor Bernhardt de Teyssonnière (his period name) shares photos of his armor as well as the sources he used for his research.

The Armour Research Society "is bringing together some of the finest minds in the field of arms and armour research from both the United Stated and Europe." The conference will take place March 31-April 1, 2007 at The Wallace Collection, Hertford House in London.

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The Armour Research Society is bringing together some of the finest minds in the field of arms and armour research from both the United Stated and Europe . For 2007, we are congregating in London at The Wallace Collection, Hertford House.

Conference of the Armour Research Society 2007

March 31 – April 1, 2007

The Wallace Collection
Hertford House
Manchester Square Location:
Armour Research Society (London, England)

On Sunday, March 4, 2007 at 20:00 (EST), the History Channel will air an episode of Modern Marvels entitled "Barbarian Battle Tech," which deals with weapons that revolutionized warfare.

Archaeologists at the Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan, Taiwan, have discovered what they believe to be the country's oldest sword.

SCA member Andy Ward of Avoca, Arkansas combines craft and artistry when he creates armor for his business Ward Metal. Becca Bacon Martin interviewed him for an article in the Morning News.

The British Museum purchased a set of gold, garnet enchrusted Anglo-Saxon sword fittings. They were discovered by a metal detectorist in 2002 near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire. The fittings are a unique find for Anglo-Saxon England.

Several years ago Midrealm subject and machinist Ben Scheiner learned he would need armor to take part in SCA fighting in the Barony of the Fenix. Now he has parlayed the hobby and his flair of metalworking into a fulltime job as an armorer. The Cincinnati Enquirer has the story.

Metal sculptor Jeff de Boer has a number of interesting pieces featured in his online gallery. Among them are complete suits of armor - for cats and mice.

A victim of home invasion in Memphis, Tennessee defended himself and gave police a solid lead in solving the crime when he lopped off the assailant's finger with a sword.

The Emperor Maxentius was defeated by Constantine I in a battle in the year 321 C.E., but his followers apparently concealed his scepter, ceremonial weapons, and other regalia from Constantine's forces by burying the items. Archaeologists excavating Palatine Hill in Rome have located the cache, which is notable for the condition of the objects.

Portsmouth High School senior and SCA member Patrick Agin may appear in the school yearbook wearing his chainmail, but the broadsword over his shoulder must go, say school officials. Bruce Burdett of the East Bay, Rhode Island newspaper reports.

The Higgins Armory Museum and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute have created a series of virtual exhibitions dealing with the martial arts in Medieval and Renaissance Europe with an emphasis on armor and fighting techniques.

The November 15, 2006 issue of New Scientist magazine contains a story on the technology of the Damascus steel swords used by the Saracens during the Crusades. A new study shows that forged steel techology was very modern.

Can a fighter accomplish a cartwheel in full armor? Well... maybe. Mike Prahl gave it a try in 40 pounds of plate as he demonstrated his skill along with other members of the Shire of Rivenwood Tower in Mankato, Minnesota. Free Press reporter Sara Gilbert Frederick had the story.

Washington State University student Matt James scorns the usual college activities for a hobby creating chainmail and fighting in the SCA. Lisa Waananen of the Daily Evergreen has the story and slide show.

Swordmaker Paul Macdonald is fighting City Hall - or more appropriately the Scottish Parliament - who recently passed a law strictly regulating the sale of swords in the country. Macdonald crafts historically-accurate weapons for re-enactors which he sells to museums, theatres and collectors.

MacFarlane Swords and Accessories, LLC, is a low-price provider of swords, knives, axes, helms, pouches, and accessories. They invite inquiries about items not listed in their catalog and are willing to try to find hard-to-locate specialty items.

MacFarlane Swords and Accessories also creates custom leather items upon request, with each item being individually priced according to difficulty

Faelan ua hEogain (Michael McPartland) reports that his armor was stolen from his vehicle on Saturday September 30, 2006 in Sunnyvale, California.

Blacksmith and SCA member Ugo Serrano has successfully combined reality and fantasy by using his medieval craftsmanship to create armor and weapons used in the movies. Leslie Slape of the Daily News (Olympia, Washington) reports.