ESTRELLA WAR

We went on a field trip to the Estrella War one year and it was totally awesome! It’s a trip back in time to the Middle Ages, held annually in mid-February. Personally I liked it much better than the Renaissance Faire. It was a lot more interesting and educational, not commercialized like the Renaissance Faire. Also, you could tell that the jousting tournament at the Renaissance Faire was just an act put on for show, while the Estrella War was a real armored tournament (they call it recreational combat) for which the fighters must be certified to go out on the battle field. There are several battles during the course of the day, which can be viewed by the public from a safe distance. The participants use blunted weapons and padded sticks, but they can still get hurt and they have paramedics standing by. It’s an amazing event to watch. It was also thrilling to be standing in the middle of the main street when an army would come marching through, clinking and clanking while dressed from head to toe in full battle armor.

The event is called “Estrella War” because it was originally held in Estrella Mountain Regional Park on the west side of Phoenix, but they outgrew that location. Starting in 2007 they are having it at Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence, the home of Country Thunder. This is the second largest Medieval event in the country. For the purposes of the Estrella War, Arizona is known as the Kingdom of Atenveldt. (Egyptian “aten” for “sun” and Dutch(?) “veldt” for “plains.”) The event brings in other “kingdoms” from all over, attracting about 6,000 reenactors from across the U.S. and around the world. The event is sponsored by The Society for Creative Anachronism, an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe.

The reenactors stay there for a week, many in period camps – that is, their tents and furnishings are very much like what people would have used in the Middle Ages. The general public can view Viking camps and General Period European camps. The Period Demo Center features a wide range of artisans including blacksmiths, woodworkers, bakers, and others. There are a variety of demonstrations on period crafts and skills such as shoe making, woodworking, candle making, hawking, and cooking. School Tours give a simple introduction to life in the Middle Ages, and provide a free one-hour tour through some of the Period Encampment and Demonstration areas. It’s a great learning opportunity, displaying a sampling of Medieval life as closely as we can document. The reenactors enjoy interacting with the public and they like being challenged with questions from the kids. For example, did you know that real Viking helmets did not have horns? That’s one thing we learned last time.

Just so you know, Estrella Wars School Tours are scheduled by appointment only (to better accommodate numbers). After the tour we continued to wander around for the rest of the afternoon, as there were plenty of other things to see and do. Even though shopping is not the focal point of this event like it is at a commercial Renaissance Faire, the Merchant’s Row does carry items to purchase including Medieval style garb as well as authentic Middle Ages-style food. As can be expected at a medieval event with thousands of participants from all different backgrounds, among the vendors there were quite a few pagans and even witches selling their wares. Of course, that’s the way it was in the Middle Ages too! Overall, the Estrella War makes you feel like you’ve personally traveled back in time and I highly recommend it. If you like history you will really enjoy it. “Lord of the Rings” fans will also love it!

Professional photographer Cassandra Tomei of Tomei Studios has posted a beautiful gallery of photos from the 2006 Estrella War at: www.tomeistudios.com/sca.html.

Learn more about this year's Estrella War at: www.estrellawar.com.

Learn more about The Kingdom of Atenveldt at: www.atenveldt.org.

If you would like to sign up for an Estrella War tour this year please contact the School Tours Coordinator, Carolyn Bernheim:

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