Activities

Come display your A&S wonders! Bring your projects to display even if you have presented them to your local groups as Birka has a larger attendance than any other event short of Pennsic, so it will be new to someone(s)!

Consultations will be available again this year!
Click here for more information

Bardic Circle

Come join our bardic circle in song, performance or presence on Saturday Night from 8:30-11pm, in the Pemigewasset Ballroom. It will be a come as you are and perform or pass. All ages and all skill levels welcome. Rounds welcome if you have them.

Calling All Bards!  (A few good bards?)

This year at Birka We would love to provide more ambiance and what better way to do that than by hearing our wonderful bards perform. We would love to have some Roving Bards and Busking available throughout the weekend. If you would like to participate please fill out this form:  https://forms.gle/1UDjFDub867kb5Ez9

A few things to be mindful of.

• NO BUSKING IN THE HALLWAYS (this is any space that is accessible to people who are not a part of our event.)
• Wandering minstrel performances from one location to the next are permissible as long as you are moving. (Ie: playing guitar while walking down the hall.)
• Please stick to the Armory, Ballroom and Merchants spaces. (These are the only spaces allowed for busking)
• No Busking in the Martial areas.
• No performing before or during court/intermission. Our consorts bard has graciously planned some wonderful entertainment for court this year.

Yours in Service and Song,
Solveig Bjarnardottir, Deputy Bardic Coordinator

The Birka Balle returns!

Join Mickel and Camille, followers of the muse Terpsichore, as they lead a merry evening of European Renaissance dancing. Almayns, bransles, Italian balli, English country dances, easier dances and more involved dances; a little something for everyone. 
Click here for the dances and steps

Birka Balle – Dance List:
Set 1:
– Lorayne Almayn
– Pinagay Bransle
– Saltarello La Regina
– Jenny Pluck Pears
– Petit Riens
– Pavanne & Galliard
– Maltese Bransle
Set 2:
– Queens Almayn
– Horses Bransle
– Rufty Tufty
– Ly Bens Distonys
– Black Almayn
– Belfiore
-Korobushka
Additional Possibilities, Time Permitting:
– Hearts Ease
– Goddesses
– Gathering Peascods
– Sellengers Round

“Drumroll please! 

Her Majesty’s Challenge for the Birka 2025 fashion show will be- The Four Humours.
Click here for more information

Rapier Tournament

TL;DR: The first half of the tournament is a Reverse Bear Pit with a max of two (2) defeats per run where the victor reports; the second half is a Conventional Bear Pit with a max of three (3) victories where the defeated reports. The tournament will be scored where every fencer is given one point for every fight they participate in and one point for every win they accrue.

The tournament for Birka this year will be a split-format pit fight where each fencer is assigned a number based on the order in which they signed up to compete. Starting at 11:00am, the tournament’s first half will be a “reverse bear pit”, wherein the winner of each bout in the lists will be tasked to go to the MoL and report their assigned number alongside that of the opponent they have defeated (only winners will report in the first half). Any slain fencer will be allowed to stay and “hold” the pit where they were defeated for a maximum of two losses, after which they will leave without reporting to the MoLs. Double Kills will leave the pit and report to the MOL together.

At 12:25pm the Marshal in Charge will call for a 10-minute hold, fencers will be allowed to resolve their current bouts and leave their gear to maintain their place in line.

After that ten minute rest, the tournament format will transition to a conventional bear pit format where the defeated fencer in a bout will be expected to leave the list to report their number alongside that of the victorious fencer (only defeated fencers will report in the second half). The victor of each bout will be allowed to “hold” the pit for a maximum of three victories, after which point they will leave the pit without reporting to the MoLs. Double Kills will leave the pit and report to the MOL together.

At 2:00pm fencers will be informed that the tournament has reached time and that the line to fight is closed, any fencer that is not in the line or on their way into the line will no longer be allowed to rejoin it. Fencing activity will continue as usual for fencers currently in the lists and line until the no competitors remain.

Statistics for each fencer in the tournament will be recorded and available through the Birka website following the event and there will be an announcement made when those are processed, posted, and avaialble to the fencing community.

Rubber Band Guns, Spears, and C&T combat are disallowed from this tournament, Death from Behind and Knee Walking are legal but we cannot emphasize enough that safety and discretion are paramount. Active East Kingdom Fencing Combat Experiments are live and legal in this tournament for any parties involved, and those parties are responsible for ensuring that their conduct meets all expectations outlined within those experiments. If you do something reckless that makes me fill out paperwork, I will harbor a lifelong grudge against you and your kin. 

Cut and Thrust Tournament coming soon…

We will be running the Cut & Thrust Bearpit Tourney at Birka again this year; Sir Ivan and Master Wyck will be running two adjacent lists, randomizing list entry to ensure that each fencer gets to fight as many opponents as possible. There will be two awards – Longest Streak and Most Overall Wins. Fabulous Prizes! Prestige! Glory! This is your basic hold-the-field and it will run for one hour. Wounds will not be retained this year. Mandatory two-minute break after a combatant has fenced five bouts in a row. We will aim to start fifteen-thirty minutes after Saturday Morning Court (will adjust as the situation dictates).

Our Traditional Bear Pit is back! Here are the rules:

• This is an ox-hide type tourney. If you step outside the marked area with one foot, even partially, you lose the leg. If you step out with both feet, you are dead.
• This is a wounds retained tournament. If you win the fight, you keep the wounds you received from the fight.
• You receive one point for fighting and a second point for winning. If you double kill, you only receive one point.
• Each ox-hide is approximately 10’ x 10’ square. You may fight with whatever weapon you choose.
• There will be no shoving (bull dogging) your opponent out of the pit, as we don’t have the room to do it safely. You may however trick your opponent into stepping out of the pit.
• Please go to the pit you’re directed to, don’t jump into another free pit because you want to fight that opponent.
• Don’t cut through other pits, there is plenty of room to walk to your pit without interrupting another fight.
• When reporting to the MOL, please give the number of the winner first and then your number. Don’t leave the table until the MOL tells you that the information has been recorded. If you leave before then, your points may not be recorded. You don’t want to loose points because you didn’t wait to make sure you were heard and/or understood.
• If you double kill, report to the MOL together.
• Discussions should happen OUTSIDE the lists. If there is a question about the shot, make a quick decision and move on. Fighters causing undue delay’s in the list will be sent to the end of the line.
• Finally, have fun!

If you are looking for help with a name, creating or modifying your arms, interested in a personal badge or one for a household, or just want to geek out about the history of heraldry, please feel free to come up to Herald’s Point on Saturday or Sunday. We have moved to Spaulding which is on the Concourse near the Expo Center (Merchants). Open 9-4 on Saturday and 9-3 on Sunday. Any skill level welcome!

Meetings will be held throughout the weekend. Most meetings will be held in either in Frost (on the Mezzanine) or Penstock (previously JD’s Tavern), with two meeting happening simultaneously, one in the front and one in the back.
Click here to see the Schedule

Come join the Middle Eastern Activities in “Birkastan” starting on Friday night with an informal Hafla, classes and dancing on Saturday during the day and ending on Saturday with our famous Live Music Hafla – joined by Hagop Garabedian of The Athenian Corner Ensemble.
Click here for more information

New to the SCA and have questions? Returning to the SCA and want to refresh your memory? Transplant? Newcomer’s point is a great place for you to visit. You can ask questions and be pointed in the right direction of folks who can assist you in your journey through the current middle ages.

New to the SCA and don’t have any clothing but want to come to the event? Gold Key is loaner garb for new people to use while attending the event. We have garb to fit almost every size and taste. Gold Key is located in Webster next to the Gate.

We’re planning on several activities, including DnD games for Teens/Tweens, and several youth / family activities for everyone.
Coming Soon: Click here for a complete list of Youth Activities.

Youth Heavy Combat

Open to all interested youth aged 6-17, will run in the Armory. Loaner gear will be available on a first come, first served basis. 
11am – 1pm: Inspections, armoring, and authorizations followed by pickups, training and games.
1pm – 2pm: The Birka Youth Combat Tournament will be a Roll Your Fate Tournament. Each combatant will roll a pair of dice, which determines the weapons form or other fighting conditions they will have to follow for the bout.

Chivalry Wins the Day!  The most chivalrous fighter of the day in each division will be recognized in Baronial Court.

For Arms! 

The Youth Combat Program is seeking donations of armor for loaner gear!  We have many new marshals who are eager to start active programs back home, and older marshals who have had a lot of the loaner gear walk off over the years.  Help us keep the program thriving! 

For more information about loaner gear donations, please see:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wmlb8IPqbrjRiLVN6xBQjsijWwT3CgzC0u3eJ6Ceib8/edit?usp=sharing

2pm: Youth Combat Marshal and MIT Meeting

In the armory at Youth Combat.  A meeting for Marshals, Marshals in Training, or those interested in becoming one.