Sword & Fire 2011

Awesome event, TONS of fun, VERY intense fights - I enjoyed the hell out of it! A Huge thank you to all the Scallagrims for being so accommodating, the food was utterly phenomenal - and all of you were such wonderful people!”

By Aaron Joseph Bolarinho, AEMMA

In a charming place covered in field flowers at the bank of Manitouwabing Lake (about 30 km East of Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada), a traveller can find Slutzak [Sloo’tz/\k]. Each year, closer to the end of August, time stops here somewhere around XII-XIII century and opens its curtains to a Kievan Rus encampment. Numerous pavilions and tabernacles are scattered through the field, banners flap in the sky, the air is filled with medieval music, laughter and excitement...

“Sword & Fire” is a unique week-end camping event organized annually by Scallagrims Medieval Martial Arts Centre, with the purpose of networking, sharing both combat and living-history experience between medieval re-enacting groups, perform¬ers, and artists, and promoting the study of history, physical training, and learning foreign cultures. 

This year we were pleased to welcome guests from such prominent groups and organizations as AEMMA, Torvik, Hoplologia, Belarusian Ethnic Choir “Yavarovya Ludzi”, as well as individual history-lovers. 

“Sword & Fire” event’s agenda included one-on-one Full Contact Live Steel Tournament in two nominations – Sword & Sword-Shield, mass battles – bughurts, archery tournament, axe and spear throwing competitions, medieval costume contest, Saturday night Authentic Slav Feast, games and other ethnic entertainment. 

The Archery competition opened the first event day. Each archer, given 3 shots in each round, had to collect a certain amount of points to move on.  The winner, Dmitri Khandov, actually shot the apple in his last round, which brought him the victory! Right away he named himself to be a true Robin Hood and gave the apple to the starving crowd (joke). Erik Kowalski and Greg Polevoy got the second and the third places accordingly.

We would like to say thank you to our friend Zack Djurica, who organized and judged the Archery tournament, as well as donated the first place prizes – an authentic belt pouch and an arrow. Zack possesses a deep knowledge of history of medieval archery – Western, Eastern European and Mongolian. He is also the top producer and distributor of the most accurate authentic bows, arrows and quivers in Canada. 

(Please visit www.nomadicartsarchery.com for more information)

The main features of the “Sword & Fire” event, the professional Full Contact Live Steel Tournament, opened in the late afternoon. Although it was planned to hold the Tournament in two nominations – Sword & Sword-Shield – this year, due to the weather conditions, we were able to hold just Sword nomination. Numerous participants applied. The fighting was very intense and truly spectacular to watch. Judging the tournament were Greg Polevoy, the president of Scallagrims Medieval Martial Arts Centre and  two times international champion in full contact live steel tournament Sword-Shield nomination (2001 and 2007), Nikita Kizel, a senior member of club Berg, Moscow. After four hours of exhausting battle, the leaders finally emerged: first place was shared by Egor Dourasov and Sasha Grybyuk; second place went to Kyryl Sochnev; third – to Dmitri Khandov. Champions were awarded with custom-made “Sword & Fire” medals and certificates. 

In the evening guests were greeted by Greg and Alexandra – Kievan Kniaz and Kniazhna, and welcomed to the Feast grounds. Tables boasted authentic Slav and Rus dishes and drinks, including traditional Krupnik (honey-based traditional home-made low-alcoholic drink). Ethnic Slav music and songs, performed by Belarusian Ethnic Choir “Yavarovya Ludzi”, filled the air. Games and dances around the bonfire followed and were accompanied with the spectacular Fire show! The merriment continued long after midnight under a starry mantle, guests enjoyed around-the-fire story-telling and a quiet game of stones...

Alexandra Nestertchouk
Costume Director/Event Planner
Scallagrims MMAC