Full armor, weapons made of rattan that is strong enough to break bones and fighting breaks out every Sunday on South Green. No, these students are not “LARPing.” They are the Ohio University Medieval Society.
At first glance, people walking by the heavy weapons battles every Sunday might be confused by the garb and pageantry.
“They are all dressed up, and sometimes the people playing volleyball next to them even stop and cheer if it gets really intense,” said Caitlyn Tetterton, a freshman studying photojournalism who occasionally watches the group practice.
The battles that occur during the heavy weapons practices on Sundays help the club prepare for competitions all across the country, when there are larger-scale battles with hundreds of people partaking in the melee. Combatants battle, dealing each other hits of varying severity to limbs, heads and chests. Losing all their limbs, receiving multiple head wounds and more are all ways to perish, and the last team — or man — standing wins.
The shields are big, the weapons are strong, the armor is even stronger, and the members construct everything to custom fit.
Despite the steel armor, there is always the possibility of getting injured, which is one reason why the society takes time to explain risks and safety measures before entering a fight.
“You will have bruises, and there is always a possibility that you can get hurt,” said Celeste Taylor, a 2011 OU graduate with a degree in biological sciences who still helps out with the club. “That is why we like to take it slow on the beginners, while other places with the club like to beat them up really good.”
But the battle clashes aren’t the only medieval topics of interest to those in OU’s Medieval Society. At weekly meetings, members suggest various topics, such as cooking or falconry, for classes.
“We have classes based on what people in the club want,” said Elizabeth Copen, the club’s president and a senior studying creative writing. “If someone wants to learn how to make armor, do wire weaving, dance, whatever it is, we can find someone to teach it.”
The Medieval Society is more than a club, though, said Cory Merritt, an armor researcher in the group.
“We are not just a random group; we are an educational, nonprofit organization, and we report what classes we teach along with how many that relate to anything pre-1600s,” said Merritt, a senior studying outdoor recreation and education.
Merritt also explained that each member takes on a persona and fashions “garb” to match the character.
For Merritt, that persona is a 10th-century Northsman at the beginning of the Viking era. His attire includes a dagger, cloak, tunic, leg wraps and a homemade torque neck, a cloak fastener that is a symbol of a freeman.
“Garb serves a purpose other than a costume,” he said. “What a person wears depends on who they are, and one can go as far or as little into it, but we encourage accuracy. We stay away from fantasy, which means no elves, because they are myths and not history.”
The group members said they don’t describe their activities as “live action role-playing” because they base their actions on history rather than fantasy.
And while the club has more than its fair share of fun, its members stressed that they are equally interested in learning.
“The OU Medieval Society is an opportunity to relive the Middle Ages without fear of the danger,” Copen said. “It is an idealized portrayal.”
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