The Society for Creative Anachronism http://www.sca.org/ This is the official SCA website. Here you can find a breakdown of which kingdoms cover which states. From there, you can connect to your kingdom's website and on to the site for your local group. The SCA site also has details and links for the nitty-gritty details of the hobby and links for major events.

Favorite message boards/general info sites:

The Armour Archive http://www.armourarchive.org/ This site is not affiliated with the SCA but is one of the most informative discussions on re-creating medieval combat available. Follow the threads to learn the nuts and bolts of making armor. You can also ask other members how to solve your armoring problems. Forums regularly include lively debates on the strengths and weaknesses of different fighting forms (SCA, fencing, ARMA, re-enactor) and include ads for new and used armor. Several people mentioned in The Knights Next Door frequent this board.

Legio Draconis http://www.legiodraconis.com/ The site for the expanded Legion of fighters following one of the SCA's finest fighting households, Darkyard. This site has regular modern medieval news items, tips on fighting, motivational tools and dozens of message board Forums. Though the site centers on Darkyard and its Legion, it draws hundreds of subjects of the Middle Kingdom and of the SCA's Known World.

Pennsic.net http://www.pennsic.net/ This site is all about the SCA's biggest event, The Pennsic War. Pennsic draws medieval enthusiasts who are not part of the SCA to its mix and many of those people post on this site's message boards. Includes details about War, the latest War gossip and rule changes, a countdown to the next Pennsic and page after page of photos of Pennsic submitted by attendees. The front cover photo of The Knights Next Door was found on this site.

SCAToday.net http://www.scatoday.net/ This is almost like a news wire service for medievalists. The site's owners and members post Middle Ages-related news stories as they find them. Headlines will change as the day goes on as new items are submitted. Read SCA news - births, marriages, Crown Tournament Results, War results, event listings - along with news of the latest archaeological finds and research.

The Rialto Usenet group rec.org.sca Once the powerhouse newsgroup of SCA news and activities, it has been surpassed by scores of more specific Yahoo!Groups. Is still one of the few groups that spans all kingdoms and activities. Reading group archives through Google can fill you in on SCA issues of the Internet age.

YahooGroups of broad interest:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scanewcomers/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SCA-Garb http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SCA-Archery/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SCA-MissileCombat/

Other U.S. medieval or fantasy groups

Dagorhir Battle Games http://www.dagorhir.com/

Amtgard http://amtgard.com:8080/

Kingdom of Acre http://www.kingdomofacre.org/

Markland Medieval Mercenary Militia http://www.markland.org/

The Adrian Empire http://www.adrianempire.org/

The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts http://www.thearma.org/

British Re-enactment Groups

Britannia, The Arthurian Society http://www.durolitum.co.uk/ Recreates the post-Roman British Isles. Appeared in Gladiator.

Regia Anglorum http://www.regia.org/ Premier late Dark Ages group

Regia's North American branch http://www.mathomhouse.com/regia/welcome.html

Ermine Street Guard http://www.esg.ndirect.co.uk/ Roman reenactors

The Vikings http://www.vikingsonline.org.uk/

Sealed Knot http://www.sealedknot.org/ Probably the best-known Brit group, but does the 17th C., out of the SCA period.

Dawn of Time Crafts http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/4774/ High-level goods for reenactors.

Another list of links to groups: http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/topics/groups.htm

The UK Reenactors Portal http://www.the-reenactor.co.uk/

Another site for overall reenactor details http://www.livinghistory.co.uk/

Events for 2005 http://www.eventplan.co.uk/2005_events.htm

Military Odyssey http://www.military-odyssey.fsnet.co.uk/mo/mo-f.html A giant multi-period event where reenactors demonstrate military equipment and tactics of their period.

Garb

When You Want to Wear Today? http://sca-garb.freeservers.com/ Links to photos and articles

Links from the Kingdom of Atlantia http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/topics/clot.htm One of the most comprehensive links lists, with everything from beginner tunics to expert garb of specific periods and places

Garb for beginners http://www.reconstructinghistory.com/beginners/

Tons of how-to links http://sca-garb.freeservers.com/articles/howtolinks.html

Surviving medieval clothes http://www.virtue.to/articles/extant.html

History of Costume http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/history.html Reprints of color plates from a costume history book.

Basic period patterns for shoes and clothes http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/ A personal homepage with links to the owner's pages on clothing and shoes. Pages do not have detailed patterns, but they outline the basic cut of clothes and the basic parts of dozens of shoe styles by era.

Isabella of York, who has a short profile in The Knights Next Door's chapter on garb, is profiled and pictured at the New York City shop that often displays and carries her work http://www.greenberg-hammer.com/isabella_of__york.htm

Timetable showing the development and use of different types of textiles and fabrics over time http://www.etn-net.org/routes/intro/indust_timetable.htm

Color Wheel of Dark Ages colors http://www.vikingsonline.org.uk/resources/authenticity/basickit/kit-fig38.htm This link from the UK reenactors The Vikings is a great resource for anyone wondering what kind of colors were possible in the Dark Ages.

Names

The Academy of Saint Gabriel does historical research on names and heraldry, primarily for history hobbyists interested in re-creating medieval and Renaissance Western cultures. The Academy will give you information about the authenticity of your name or arms; and if they believe it could be more authentic, they will suggest ways to improve it. However, they cannot help you with questions about genealogy or family arms. They also generally do not help people trace the origins of modern surnames.

Fighting

Bellatrix Fighting School http://bellatrix.org/school/default.htm Duke Paul of Bellatrix, mentioned in The Knights Next Door for inventing a basic SCA blow, the flat snap, has instructions for his fighting style here.

The Way of the Warrior http://sabletower.homestead.com/files/index.html Basics on armor and fighting by Sylvanus Perrin, who is mentioned briefly in the chapter on the Atlantia university.

http://www.midrealm.org/kith/kith Links to video of some smaller battles and tournaments, plus links to fighting instruction taught by top Midrealm fighters

House Ironrose: Warrior Women of the SCA http://www.peak.org/~grainne/Ironrose/ A gathering place for female fighters from across the Known World. Links to the teachings of Duchess Elina, author of The Armored Rose are found here.

The Pavel http://comp.uark.edu/~pavel/ The home page of the founder of the Calontir Shield Wall.

Combat Archery:
View of arrowheads for combat http://www.combat-archery.com click the "Arrows and Bolts" link for a look at arrowheads

http://www.houseasgard.org/BaldarBlunts/ Where to buy the arrowheads used in SCA combat. http://www.houseasgard.org/ is the side for Duke Baldar's household in Trimaris/Florida.

Scribal arts/Illumination

Diane Calvert, the scribe from outside Paris featured in The Knights Next Door's chapter on Illumination http://www.dcalvertversals.com/

Illumination done for scrolls by the Barony of the Cleftlands (Cleveland, OH) Scribes Guild http://cleftlands.cwru.edu/archive/scrolls.asp

Another fine Midrealm scribe, who also does fantasy and other art as a business. FYI, Ranthulfr is also a Knight. Home page: http://www.randyasplund.com/ His scribal work: http://www.randyasplund.com/browse/scribepg/scribe.html

Middle Eastern

Orluk Oasis http://users.lazerlink.com/~dwarph/orluk.html Basics on the Pennsic campground of Middle Eastern enthusiasts

Basic drum instruction http://www.maya.com/local/senn/drum.html Jas, from the hafla chapter gives a very good notation of rhythms, with sound files so you can hear them.

Drum instruction: Rhythm Rides for Dumbeks available at XXXX Instructional CD on rhythms done by Sylvanos/Billy Woods and David Korup, two of the main figures in SCA drumming.

Turku http://www.turkumusic.com/ A band of SCA and mundane Middle Eastern musicians that perform at Pennsic most years. More than just a hobby band. Fantastic to listen to.

Feasts

A Boke of Gode Cookery http://www.godecookery.com/godeboke/godeboke.htm Fantastic site packed with period recipes, modern medieval-ish ones for newcomers and an overview on medieval cookery.

Other views of the SCA

The Middle Ages as they were, or as they should have been: http://www.nipissingu.ca/department/history/muhlberger/scarec2.htm Academic paper/lecture

Is the SCA a cult? http://members.tripod.com/~whitebard/cultsca.htm

On Thud and Blunder, by Poul Anderson http://www.sfwa.org/writing/thud.htm

The SCA mentioned in a Time Magazine story on "The Lure of the Rings" http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101021202/amfantasy.html

Author of a a murder mystery set at Pennsic, Murder at the War or Knightfall http://monica-ferris.com/

Story about Pennsic by NPR's Only a Game http://www.onlyagame.org/shows/2003/08/20030823_14.asp

Combat archery article http://www.primitivearcher.com/articles/friendlybattle.html

The Saga of Cloak Boy http://www.corporatemofo.com/stories/020114SCA.htm A very irreverent look at the SCA.

The SCAtanic Verses www25.brinkster.com/pavilion/sca/scatanic_verses.doc It takes a moment to download this Word file butit is well worth it for this fiercely independent sendup of the stylized SCA medieval world.

Merchants mentioned in The Knights Next Door:

Calontir Trim http://www.calontirtrim.com/ Read about the shop and its owner in The Knights Next Door. The best provider of medieval trim in The Known World. Website has photos of hundreds of trims.

Great metal garb fittings http://talbotsfineaccessories.com/ and http://www.quietpress.com/

The Bored Housewife http://www.theboredhousewife.com/ Leads off the garb chapter

Ice Falcon Armory http://www.icefalcon.com/

Stilicho's Anvil http://www.homestead.com/stilichosanvil/STILICHOSANVIL.html One of the blacksmiths whose Gulf Wars class is recounted in The Knights Next Door.

Favorite merchants not in the book:

The Pillaged Village http://www.pillagedvillage.com/ A little bit of everything for the medieval enthusiast.

Anuska http://anuska.com/menu_e.html Met these folks in Quebec. They mostly serve LARP and more of a colonial period than the SCA and do not attend SCA events. But they do nice work. Most of the notes for The Knights Next Door were taken in one of their fine leather notebooks.

Leather http://www.brettunsvillage.com/leather/sides.htm I did not patronize this shop while making armor but they seem a very comprehensive source for mail orders.

A good source of fencing equipment and crossbow parts, http://www.alcheminc.com/ run by Gladius the Alchemist/Jim Koch, who made me a great scramseax to fit my 9th C. persona and who attended some of the very earliest Pennsics.

Other:

Bastarmark http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/i/r/irongld/bastarmark.htm Web page for one of the more authentic early-period campsites at Gulf Wars.

Early SCA history http://history.westkingdom.org/Year0/ and http://history.westkingdom.org/Year1/FirstTournament.htm

Forward Into the Past a good guide for newcomers http://www.ansteorra.org/regnum/hospitaler/articles/fip.htm

Cariadoc's Miscellany http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/miscellany.html Pennsic founder Cariadoc of the Bow has gathered medieval and middle eastern recipes, fighting and armoring instructions and essays on persona and the structure of the SCA and its game here.

Eleanor's Misc. SCA links http://www.gweep.net/~trish/sca/misc.html

Buy The Knights Next Door: Everyday People Living Middle Ages Dreams
Hardcover: $31.95
Paperback: $21.95
Click Here to order!