Photo courtesy of Caitlyn Allendorph

Junior Caitlyn Allendorph carries the shield of her mentor during the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) Laurel Award Ceremony. The award is presented to those who have excelled in the arts and sciences category. “This was a huge honor to do this, [my mentor] helped me get my bearings at the SCA. It makes me so happy that I was able to be in this,” Allendorph said.

As the horn sounds for the second time to alert everyone of the upcoming voyage, junior Caitlyn Allendorph boards the Fydraca, a 32-foot-long Viking ship, along with her seven other crew members. While her captain yells out orders, Allendorph uses her force to paddle and guide the ship through the waters of Smithville lake in Clay County, Mo. 

Continuing her family legacy, Allendorph became a part of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) as a baby. SCA is a worldwide society that re-creates and researches life from the fall of ancient Rome in 476 AD to the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. SCA events, including “Gulf Wars” and “War of Lilies,” host activities such as archery, heavy armored fighting, rowing and calligraphy. The St. Louis chapter, called “the Kingdom of Calontir,” hosts weekly meetings for its participants to discuss and practice for upcoming events. 

“We talk about what’s going on this week. We had an event last weekend, so they’ll probably talk about what happened [in this week’s meeting]. There are [also] fighter practices, [which is] a teaching and practice, so those people are practicing their fighting and anyone can be involved,” Allendorph said.

At SCA events, Allendorph juggles between being a crew member and rower on the Fydraca, as well as tending to the royal family and keeping the fighters hydrated. 

“I typically like to [be a] water bearer, which is basically making sure people have water and stay hydrated, so they don’t get overheated,” Allendorph said. “Other than water bearing I also do retinue which is kind of like a personal assistant for the royalty. So I follow them around for a couple hours, make sure they have water and if they need me to go grab something, hold their bag, or remind someone of something, I’ll go do that. I love it, it makes me so happy to help people. Retinue and water bearing are volunteer, but we have an entire event for who will be king and queen called The Crown Tournament.”

Allendorph attends and participates in as many events as she can, some even lasting a full week. Sharing these SCA experiences with a vast group of people has given Allendorph a support system and community of others who share the same love of re-enacting. 

“I have friends, people I consider brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles there, who are an extension of my family. I always have someone to talk to no matter what and I have so many friends it’s awesome. [I] have a very strong community, I help them and they help me, so that’s what makes it special for me,” Allendorph said.

Re-enacting has assisted in growing Allendorph’s social skills and helping her to be more confident and extroverted. 

“I’ve learned how to talk to people formally, and how to not be socially awkward, which I feel going through middle school and COVID-19 has really helped [me with],” Allendorph said. “I never run into those walls of not knowing how to talk to people, especially not knowing how to talk to teachers and people who have authority over me. That is something I didn’t really have to struggle with which is wonderful.”

Similar to her parents, Allendorph plans to be part of the SCA for as long as she can. What started as something she was born into became a hobby and a passion that will continue.

“I enjoy re-enacting, I think it’s fun, it’s like a sport, you get to do what you love. You have a passion, and you get to do it around a ton of other people who have the same passion as you,” Allendorph said.