Greetings, Ladies and Lords, and welcome to the Web site for the Barony of Lions Gate, a branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism, an international organization dedicated to researching and recreating the arts and skills of Medieval Europe.
Our group is a Barony within The Principality of Tir Righ, within The Kingdom of An Tir.
In the modern world, we are the local SCA branch for Bowen Island, Britannia Beach, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Gibsons, Langley, Lions Bay, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Sechelt, Surrey, Squamish, Sunshine Coast Regional District, Vancouver, White Rock, and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
Welcome to the New Baron and Baroness of Lions Gate!
As we say thank you to Their Excellencies Cyneric and Ariana, stepping down from their role as Baron and Baroness of Lions Gate, we welcome the new: Baron Malyss Makneile and Baroness Brynja Kortsdottir!
New to the SCA?
The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) and the Barony of Lions Gate welcome you to the Middle Ages. The SCA is a non-profit worldwide organization with over 60,000 people who re-create the Middle Ages from 600 to 1600 AD through songs, dance, clothing, weaving, combat, archery, metalworking and much more. Honour, chivalry and courtly love are valued highly in our society. We bring our knowledge, skills and love of history together in a safe and fun environment for all to enjoy. For more information about the SCA as a whole click here!
Getting Involved
You are welcome to attend either an event or a practice first, you do not need to be a member to attend either. Contact our Chatelaine (newcomer coordinator) at lionsgate.chatelaine@tirrigh.org if you have any questions about how to get involved.
Events are a large part of what we do in the society. There are many different types of events; we have wars, coronations, feasts, and many types of tournaments. Every weekend throughout the year (and major events can last weeks!), we have an event going on somewhere in Tir Righ or elsewhere in An Tir that we can go to. Unlike Renaissance Faires, our events are not for the entertainment of the paying public. We do however encourage newcomers who are interested in the Middle Ages and want to participate to come out, dress up, and take part in our events. Come and enjoy the medieval world in which we take pride creating. Events organized by our branch can be found on the Upcoming Events page, and all events in our region are listed on the Kingdom of An Tir Calendar.
You may attend an event whether you are a member of the SCA or not. There is a site fee for nearly every event we hold; it may be $10 for a small, local event, or $35 for larger events. For many of our events, there is a $5.00 discount if you are a member of the SCA. If you wish to become a member of SCA Inc., a one-year membership is only $37.00 US. Information on membership in the SCA can be found on the Society Web site.
All we ask is that you make an attempt at pre-16th century clothing for an event, and stay subtle with blatant anachronisms (such as cell phones) where possible. For absolute beginners and people interested in just coming and “checking us out,” we have a service called “Gold Key,” basic garb for newcomers. Most large events will have Gold Key available, but please contact the Chatelaine to ensure that Gold Key will be available.
Practices are what we do each week to get ready for an event. There is no expectation of costumes or historical recreation at a practice, beyond the particular skills we are learning. We have many different practices which include Heavy Combat (sword fighting in full armour), Rapier (fencing), Archery, Dance, and Arts and Science (making and learning). Our practices are located in the throughout the Lower Mainland. If you would like to attend one of our practices, go to the Practices Listings to find where and when they are. Contact the Officer in charge and let them know that you are coming, and ask if there is loaner gear available to use. Particularly for the combat arts, loaner gear is typically not brought to a practice unless we know it is needed.
Newcomer’s Nights & Beginner’s Workshops
While our in-person Newcomer’s Nights are suspended, we invite you to come to our online Newcomer’s Classes, hosted by the Barony of Lions Gate and The University of Tir Righ.
From time to time we also run workshops and classes outside of events specifically to help newcomers prepare for their first event (or for anyone else who is still a beginner in that subject), and these will be listed here. Many events also have beginner-friendly classes; if you see TUTR (The University of Tir Righ) in an event description, look for or ask about “Novus” classes. Please e-mail lionsgate.tutr@tirrigh.org with questions, expressions of interest, suggestions for classes, or for the location of any of the stand-alone workshops.
The SCA’s Newcomer’s Portal also has a myriad of resources available for people who are new to this society.