Spend a day back in time at A Day in Medieval Life

The clash of swords, the thunder of warhorses, ladies in flowing gowns, lords in armor. Sound like something from a history book or a novel? No, it is A Day in Medieval Life 2008, brought to you by the Friends of the Hartsville Memorial Library. This two-day event will befall Hartsville’s sports complex at Byerly Park on Sept. 26 and 27, with an array of activities for all.

To wet your appetite for all things medieval, the Friends will be presenting a double feature of medieval movie blockbusters, beginning with a showing of the movie A Knight’s Tale (rated PG-13) starring Heath Ledger followed by the hit movie Kingdom of Heaven (rated R) with Orlando Bloom. Admission for this double feature is free, and concessions will be available for sale.

After dreaming of heroic knights and beautiful damsels, The Society for Creative Anachronisms (SCA) will take center stage on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. with sword fighting tournaments, jousting and for the grand finale, a siege of the Castle Vymont. 

For those with a taste for the softer side of the Middle Ages, there will be demonstrations of inkle loom weaving, chain mail, archery and even a medieval fashion show presented by Hartsville’s Brandi Wheeler of Lulu’s Merle Norman. There will also be food merchants selling edible delights with a medieval flair. 

The SCA is an international educational organization dedicated to the research and re-creation of the arts and skills of pre-17th century European culture. With over 30,000 members worldwide, members of the SCA dress in wears of the Middle Ages and Renaissance and participate in events featuring tournaments, workshops, classes, art exhibits, demonstrations, feasts and much more. For more information about the SCA or to contact your local group, go to http://www.sca.org or http://www.atlantia.org.

This wonderful day of history is only $4 for adults and $2 for children and all proceeds go to the Friends of the Hartsville Memorial Library. Group discount rates and more information are available by calling (888) 427-8720 or (843) 332-5115. Group rates will not be available at the gate, so please call ahead.

Take a leap forward into the past and join them for a day of fun, fighting and fellowship with the Friends of the Hartsville Memorial Library and the Society for Creative Anachronisms.