Members of the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA) are used to make-believe activities like sword fights in medieval courts. In Kodiak, the group also stretches the creative limits of climate and geography. At Springhill Hall on Saturday fresh cilantro and other Mediterranean ingredients came together in a three-course southern-Spanish feast created from recipes out of a 13th century cookbook.

The event’s main cook, Jennifer Hansen, said ancient recipes usually prepared over an open fire require some adjustment in the present day.

“The key is not to make assumptions that come from a blender and canning society,” she said. “Do exactly what the recipe says. They knew what they were doing.”

In the first course she used cilantro to make a dish called Green Chicken that may be an early predecessor of chicken adobo. Other dishes at the feast were cucumbers marinated in mint vinaigrette and another chicken dish cooked in rose water, sugar and shredded almonds. But most popular were the savory stuffed eggs that were assembled with the help of the guests.

The intricacy of the food is just one example how the SCA is a group that takes having fun seriously. SCA is a nonprofit educational organization devoted to researching and recreating medieval and Renaissance culture. Internationally, it has more than 60,000 participants and 30,000 paid members.

Participating in the SCA means dressing in period costume and learning skills like swordplay, making pottery and storytelling.

The association is run by a complex hierarchy of kings, princes and barons. At SCA events Alaska is part of a region known as the Kingdom of the West that includes Northern California, Nevada, Japan and Korea. The state of Alaska is called the Principality of Oertha.

But despite the rules and technical vocabulary the organization is a group devoted to fun. SCA members use the word “play” to mean “participate in the SCA.”

“We create the good parts of the medieval system,” Hansen said. “No one actually gets the ax.”

Jonathon Clary hypothesized SCA recreated the royalty system because it’s more exciting to have a visiting crown prince than a guest committee chair.

“When the people with shiny hats show up, it’s an excuse to throw a party,” he said.

Chuck Diters, a guest from Anchorage at the feast, wore one of these “shiny hats” as a former baron. He explained the spirit of the organization with a condensed version of the 1966 SCA founding story.

“The SCA started as a mistake,” he said. “The founders had no intention of starting an organization. It started as a party. When it ended the next morning the people got together and said ‘when are we doing this again?’ By the third event, fourth event, they had outgrown peoples’ backyards and had to rent a space.”

In addition to having fun, local SCA member Don Roberts said organization is about firsthand research into medieval arts and sciences. Although SCA members are generally hobbyists and not professionals, they can help historians because they have firsthand experience with things like cooking 13th century feasts and making suits of chain mail.

“It’s the difference between someone who has a doctorate in ichthyology and a crotchety old fisherman,” he said.

The feast on Saturday marked the anniversary of the official establishment of Kodiak’s SCA chapter (or ‘shire’ in SCA-speak). The group has existed unofficially for about seven years, but officially becoming recognized has taken some time. The moto of Kodiak’s SCA shire is ‘passumus facer id’ — Latin for “we can make it work.” It’s an appropriate moto for a group that seldom gets to attend off-island SCA events, and can only participate online in the economy of recreated garb, armor, weapons and other goods.

Kodiak SCA members frequently have to improvise, but are proud of their creativity. They describe themselves as very active for a small shire. The group’s current leader, Sonia Clary, makes period clothing for herself and other members with materials she brought with her when she moved here from southern California. Her husband, Jonathon, is in charge of the shire’s rapier fencing groups and makes his own leatherwork and bows.

Despite the challenges of working with limited resources, SCA members may be able to best appreciate the uniqueness of island life.

“We have limited resources because we are on an island in Alaska. But you look at any small pre-industrial town and they had limited resources, too,” said Sonia Clary. “And that’s what we’re trying to recreate.”

Kodiak’s SCA holds monthly arts and sciences workshops and four or five large events like feasts each year. For more information about the organization contact Sonia Clary.

Mirror writer Sam Friedman can be reached via e-mail at sfriedman@kodiakdailymirror.com.