Glory War

Overview

Glory War (often referred to simply as Glory!) was a multi-day war and combat event hosted by the Barony of Unser Hafen. First held in July 1998 (AS XXXIII), the event was designed as an intensive "fighters' marathon," featuring continuous heavy weapons scenarios, archery competitions, rapier combat, youth activities, period feast options, and bards. The event continued as an annual or recurring fixture in the Outlands calendar through at least 2007.

Glory War I (1998)

The inaugural Glory War took place from July 17–20, 1998 (A.S. XXXIII) on the Pawnee Grasslands. Gwilim de Glamorgan & Galiana Fitzwilliam served as the event stewards.

Martial Scenarios & Activities

Heavy Weapons Scenarios

Coordinated by Deotrich Hiltipard, Saturday was designated as a true "Heavy Weapons Marathon."

• Breakfast / Lunch of Champions: Tourneys utilizing novelty rattan weapons built to look like pub items or food (e.g., foam beer steins, roasting chickens on a spit).
• Holmgang: Timed 1-hour traditional Norse bear-skin duel.
• Celtic Battlemaiden Tourney: Timed male/female team scenario. The female fighter used her weapon system of choice; the male fighter was restricted to a center-grip round shield and short weapon. If the female died, the match was lost.
• Station Tourney (The Gauntlet): Fighters carried a sack of grain through a course while battling "fiery darts of daemons," running a gauntlet, and facing a "two-headed giant" named Baldegrin. Each fighter had to wear the favor of a child as an entry requirement.
• Challenge of the Green Knight: A retained-wounds bearpit restricted to 5-foot axes.
• Buschazi: A team game involving capturing a prop sheep across the field.
• Knife Circle & Torchlight Tourney: Proximity fighting in a circle, and night combat by torchlight using max 5-foot rattan with no shields.
• Broken Field Melees: Ranked team melees using a point scale based on fighting awards (Authorized = 1pt, AoA = 2pts, GoA = 3pts, Chivalry = 4pts) with no teammates allowed from the same home group.
• Fighter Games: Field challenges including Call of the Fiannan (fighting buried waist-deep in dirt).

Archery Scenarios

Coordinated by Eric Morrison of Thistlekeep, archers competed in novel precision and speed shoots:

• Pattern Clout Shoot: Closest 4 of 6 arrows within 50 feet added for score.
• Sterling Shoot: "Braveheart"-style clout shoot targeting ground areas marked by shields.
• William Tell & Robin Hood Runs: Progressive-distance elimination shoots.
• Timed & Wand Shoots: High-speed combat archer simulations.

Arts, Sciences & Hospitality

The Hungry Heroes Inn

An experimental meal program run by Meriel of Tay and Theresea die Tanzerin, offering full weekend meal plans for $15 or a la carte options ("Finicky Fighter Plan") paid via donations dropped in a brass spittoon.

• Friday Dinner: Hearty Elk Stew or Minestrone with braided bread.
• Saturday Menu: Meselede (scrambled eggs with bread) & Banbury cakes for breakfast; Turkey Rastons (loose-meat turkey sandwiches) for lunch; Moroccan Beef with couscous pilaf for dinner; late-night "Sugar & Spice" milk and cookies.
• Sunday Menu: Pancakes and eggs; Turkey Rastons; leftover stew packaged for travel.

Arts & Bardic Competitions

• Offhand Portraits of Their Royal Majesties: A 2-hour timed speed-art competition.
• Alliterative Meter Poetry: Period poetry composition using Sir Gawain and the Green Knight-style alliteration and "bob and wheel" stanzas describing deeds on the battlefield.

Glory War II

The second annual event, subtitled Glory: The Heroes' War, took place over Fourth of July weekend, running from noon on July 2 to noon on July 5, 1999.

Site & Location

Glory War II moved to a new venue: Skyline Camp, a secluded mountain site near Encampment, Wyoming.

• Site Features: Offered cooler mountain temperatures, spacious camping areas, and on-site shower facilities.
• Site Rules: Discreetly wet. Due to local wildlife risks in the mountain area, no pets were allowed on site.

Martial Activities & Highlights

Organized by combat coordinators Lord Lochlainn, Lord Conchobhar, and Lord Robert Stewart, the schedule was structured around morning tournaments and high-intensity afternoon melees across heavy, rapier ("light"), and archery disciplines.

• Heavy & Rapier Scenarios: Included station tourneys, three-man team tourneys, and continuous afternoon field melees.
• The Carnyx Prize Tourney: A headline tournament where combatants competed to win a handcrafted Carnyx (an ancient Celtic war horn) made and donated by Sir Deotrich Hiltipard.
• Legio Borealis Scout's Gauntlet: A featured endurance challenge designed to test the limits of even the most hardened fighters.
• Archery: Dedicated morning tournaments and afternoon field scenarios running parallel to the armored combat tracks.

Glory War III

The third iteration, Glory III, took place over Independence Day weekend from noon on June 30 to noon on July 3, 2000 (A.S. XXXV).

Site & Location

Glory War moved to a new site located near Buford, Wyoming (24 miles west of Cheyenne off I-80 at Exit 335). Situated at an elevation of 7,500 feet, the mountain site featured high-altitude camping among trees and rock formations, a pond for dipping, footbridges, picnic tables, and fire pits.

• Site Fees: $10.00 site fee ($4 for children under 16; $30 family cap).
• Site Rules & Logistics:
  • Water: There was no potable water on site, requiring all attendees to pack in their own drinking water.
  • Alcohol & Quiet Hours: Discreetly wet (pack-in/pack-out for containers) with no noise restrictions.
  • Pets: Allowed on site, provided they remained on leashes.
  • Altitude Note: Autocrats warned "lowlanders" to prepare for the 7,500-foot elevation with extra warm gear for cool nights and aspirin or oxygen for potential altitude sickness.

Activities & Martial Highlights

Promoted with a "Chirurgeon General’s Warning" that the event was only for those who wanted to fight until total exhaustion, Glory III continued the tradition's core motto: "Fight 'till you drop, Revel where you Fall!"

• Heavy, Rapier & Combat Archery: Heavy scenarios were designed by "some of the sickest, twisted minds in Unser Hafen," paired with equally intense fencing and archery field challenges (with combat archers explicitly requested to bring armor and gear).
• Equestrian Program (Inaugural Year): For the first time, Glory War introduced an equestrian track under Equestrian Marshal in Charge (EMIC) Lady Rosslin. Advanced riders served as mounted security and camp heralds to enhance medieval ambiance, alongside open equestrian competitions.
• Bardic Culture: Open bardic circles around campfires without strict noise curfews.

Hospitality: The Inn

Food service was headed by Innkeeper Lady Galiana Fitzwilliam:

• Pricing: $15.00 for adults (16+); $10.00 for youth under 16.
• Friday Potluck: The Autocrat and Innkeeper provided a central meat dish for an informal Friday night potluck.
• Full Weekend Meal Plan: A pre-reserved meal plan covered all meals from Saturday morning through Sunday night, ending with a complimentary breakfast on Monday morning before site tear-down.

Glory War III Event Staff

Staff Role	SCA Name
Autocrat	Lord Gwilim de Glamorgan
Innkeeper	Lady Galiana Fitzwilliam
Equestrian Marshal in Charge	Lady Rosslin Katrin von Hohenzollern

Photos

Photo from Glory VII by Nikolaos Demetriou ho Toxotes

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Photos from Glory VII by Donnchadh mac Céadaigh

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Photos from Glory VII by Elissent Silverleaf

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

https://web.archive.org/web/20080711105648/http://www.glorywar.org/