Real Name: David Haldenwang
SCA Name & title: Lord Snorri skyti Bjarnarson
Years in the SCA: 4ish
How did you find out about the SCA?
I’ve always been involved in medievalist stuff; way back to when I was a kid it was an interest of mine. I got involved with LARPing by Baron Magnus de Lyon of the Hael. We were roommates at the time, and he was running a game called Adventures in Mid-land. That eventually became some friends and I running another game called Kingdoms of Novitas (we’re in our sixteenth year!) and then getting involved in Dagorhir for about ten years, running a large household/fighting unit there called the Cairnhold Legion. For a variety of reasons, Dagorhir ceased to be a game we wanted to play anymore, so many of us have moved over to the SCA – I was just the first one to do it.
Where did you start, what was your first event?
I first started playing in 2012, fighting heavy, but it didn’t stick – heavy fighting just isn’t my jam – and PAX in 2012 was the last event I went to for a few years. I came back in December 2015 when my old friends Lance and Sara were being invested as Baron and Baroness of the Rhyderrich Hael. I didn’t know exactly what that was, but it sounded important, so a few of us went out there to support them. There was archery, as it was unseasonably warm, and I magically happened to have a bow in my trunk. I borrowed a few arrows from Lord Mikus and came in second in that day’s tournament. I was hooked on archery, and haven’t looked back since.
What is your persona?
I started off as a Norseman living in Hedeby around 1000 AD, but I’ve gradually shifted east and south, and forward about 200 years, due to marrying a Kievan Rus woman and a love of poofy pants. I chose the name Snorri because it’s an excellent period name, but also because someone’s gotta be the comic relief – everyone who’s a Viking wants to be Gunnar or Hafdan or Thorbjorn! Fine, I’ll be the eighth dwarf. I also have an alternate persona, Incognito Snorri, who is from 1300’s Bavaria/Swabia in present day Germany. My family is from a small town in Bavaria called Haldenwang, so it’s a bit of family history.
Why did you pick this persona?
Everything after Vikings seemed froofy to me. Lace and feathers and stuff… just seemed really uncomfortable and delicate and impractical. And then I decided to do 14th century, and discovered my hidden love of feathers and seed pearls and achieving Peak Hat.
Do you have any group or household affiliations?
I am the Captain of Archers of the Duchy of Arindale, the household of TRM Timothy and Gabrielle. I’m a plankholder in Ætt Skyti, a newer household of mostly Dagorhir refugees that I helped found in 2016, but ultimately did not join on a permanent basis (Being in Arindale is a better fit with a kid, and family comes first). I’m a Scarlet Guard Student to Baron Edward Harbinger, and will soon be an Apprentice to Mistress Elska a Fjarfelli.
Tell us a little bit about your life outside the SCA.
I’m a systems administrator/engineer mostly working on cloud technology for a top-three defense contractor.
What SCA activities do you or have you participated in?
My main love is archery, but I also do some A&S stuff (leather, silver, jewelry, wood, fletching), thrown weapons, bardic, illuminations, and voice heralding.
Tell us a little bit about your SCA experience (jobs, offices, duties, etc.)
I’m a Regional Archery Marshal, the current Jewel Herald of Æthelmearc, and will be taking over as the Fleur d’Æthelmearc Herald when I’m relieved as Jewel Herald. I’m the Marshal in Charge for the Pennsic Period Bow Shoot, and I autocrat the Shire of Coppertree’s Annual Holiday Shoot every year in December. Last year I was also Autocrat for fall Crown Tournament, and I’m the Autocrat for this year’s Spring Æcademy. I’m am a past Kingdom Champion of both Archery and Thrown Weapons – both times for Their Graces Gareth and Juliana.
When you started in the SCA what goals did you have?
I wanted to be a Master Bowman.
What are your goals now?
I want to be a Master Bowman concurrently with period recurve, longbow, and crossbow. I got two out of three in 2019, so I have to step it up this year. After that, I’ll take a run at Grand Master Bowman.
Other than archery goals, I want to become a Thrown Weapons Marshal, I want to visit every group in Æthelmearc, and I want to attend every major war once (I did Gulf Wars last year, trying for Lilies or Great Northeastern War this year).
If you could accomplish only one thing in the SCA in the next year, what would it be?
Help make archery at Pennsic more accessible and available to everyone.
What advice would you give to a new person in the SCA?
Say yes. When someone asks you if you want to do something, see something, go somewhere, try something, whatever it is… SAY YES! This is how all adventures start!
If you magically woke up with an SCA talent you do not already have, what would it be?
I would super love to be able to do calligraphy. I have tried, it’s not in the cards.
If you had to join the SCA in another “era” (1970, 1980, etc.), what “era” would you pick and why?
Being around for the heyday of Coppertree would have been cool. There are more peers here, of every stripe, here than many Baronies have. We’re trying to bring it back, though!
If you could pick one thing you would like to see more of in the SCA, what would it be?
Archery. Things like A&S and fencing can happen practically anywhere. Heavy fighting happens almost anywhere. The only thing that happens less than archery, though, is equestrian. I get that there are real and legitimate space concerns, but I wish more events would try harder to have archery at them. A bad day of shooting is better than a good day of nearly anything else.
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