By Maggie Rue
The Pennsic Independent
“I am extremely happy.”
Marshal One for Thrown Weapons, Forester Uthan Laoch (Midrealm), is having a great time at his first Pennsic. “I have received the best support from the volunteers who have been here before. I cannot compliment enough how easy they’ve made it for me for my first time; it is so much easier,” he beams.
The thrown weapons range to the right of the Fort can be seen on the aerial views, but doesn’t get the love of other activities in the SCA. “Thrown weapons tend to get forgotten,” Uthan stated. “Unlike activities where there isn’t a direct peerage, like heavy weapons.”
Still, there is interest. “We’ve been getting between 15 to 20 people a day. We have a practicing range, a War Point range, the tournament range, and an education/training range. Every form that the Society says is okay is represented here.” Many forms are prevalent, including an atlatl range. In addition, the thrown weapons range hosts two special sling targets capable of catching the shot thrown from a sling. “I have yet to see how it works. I want it to work; I think that any period-type of target-shooting should be represented, but safety comes first,” Uthan said of the thrown weapons form now approved in Atlantia and the West. He is an admitted a fan of introducing new styles of thrown weapons. In his homeland of the Midrealm, he is interested in developing training and competitions in pilum and plumbata, two forms of Roman darts.
Tournaments in Thrown Weapons started early, with one almost every evening, but Uthan’s enthusiasm is in the Thrown Weapons Youth War Point. “The East Thrown Weapons Champion, Matteo, and the Midrealm worked out a guaranteed spot for a War Point earned by a youth between 13 and 18. The tryouts are on Sunday at 5 pm and the point will be decided Tuesday morning, with the youth warming up at 8 am. I hope that everyone can come out and encourage these youths to show how important they are to affecting the War.”