The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary define s anachronism as “something (such as a word, an object, or an event) that is mistakenly placed in a time where it does not belong in a story, movie, etc., or a person or a thing that seems to belong to the past and not to fit in the present.”
Some twenty-first century residents of north central Ohio put that concept into practice through membership in the Society for Creative Anachronism. Through the Society, over 30,000 members research and recreate and skills, arts, clothing, and lives of pre-seventeenth century Europe. They do so through workshops, social events, tournaments, and even royal courts and feasts in some 20 “kingdoms.”
In this part of the world, the organization is called the Marche of the Three Towers. According to the group’s website, the name was derived from “the proximity of a state prison, county and city jails. (Jails being referred to as “Towers” in period).” The area in question is Richland, Crawford, Ashland, and Morrow Counties.
The Marche of the Three Towers meets regularly at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Mansfield. Its calendar of events shows that it is an active group.
You may have missed, for instance, an opportunity to join in a bi-monthly “Cut and Thrust Practice” to learn elements of sword fighting. Other events have included a meeting on the art and science of heraldry, “rapier practice,” and a recent “Spring Coronation.”
More information on the Marche of the Three Towers can be found on their website and Facebook group page.
