Swords, shields and Frat Row

Twelve weathered men bearing swords, shields and armor gathered against a backdrop of sorority houses and shining cars on Fraternity Row yesterday to wage a war.

Battle cries echoed across the field as the two six-man squads collided in a clash of shining steel and flailing limbs. At the end, the bodies of the wounded lay strewn across the ground while the victors milled about, poking at their foes' inert bodies with tips of long and deadly spears.

But looks can be deceiving.

This was a reenactment battle hosted by the Maryland Medieval Mercenary Militia, the first skirmish seen on the campus in 13 years. Every warrior was a trained actor, and every move was carefully choreographed to produce an authentic battle scene without any major injuries.

The reenactment celebrated the 940th anniversary of the 1066 Battle of Hastings in which the Normans under Duke William of Normandy defeated the Anglo-Saxon army and murdered King Harold II. That battle was the last time England was conquered by a foreign power.

The event also signified the first time the club had been permitted to hold a reenactment on campus since 1993, when university administrators banned the tradition due to fear of injury to participants and objections to large groups camping on university grounds.

Since then, the group has held peaceful events on the campus to educate and recruit new members. In 2002, members held a birthday bash for Attila the Hun. In previous years, the group battled at the Marietta Mansion in Glenn Dale.

The club requested permission to use Chapel Field this year, because the real battle was held on a hill. A wedding interfered with this plan, but administrators did reverse the ban on club battles and allowed the event to be held on Fraternity Row. Nearly 40 people attended the event during a four-hour period.

The group's founding members, alumni Bill Marlow and Bruce Blackistone, started the club in 1969. Blackistone, 56, was looking for people to join the club outside McKeldin Library. Marlow, 62, was looking for a way to use his army training for fun. The two recruited members for three hours and held their first reenactment later that year.

"It was so much fun we never quit," Marlow said. A group of 14 engaged in the club's first battle later that year.

Even after their 37th Battle of Hastings reenactment, the two still participate in the group's events and meetings in the Armory each week. The club has 30 charter members, with only five or six who make up the core of meetings and events. Most are alumni who come back to learn more about medieval history.

Junior Germanic studies and linguistics major Calvin Smith, a juggler and fire breather, dressed as a jester for yesterday's event.

"I like being the center of attention," he said. "But I don't like being hit with swords."

Sean Lowman, a 2004 alumnus, organized this year's battle despite never having participated in one before. "We're glad people are showing up," he said as nearby members donned chain mail and metal helmets. "Last year, most people canceled because of all the rain."

The group, like most other reenactment organizations, follows strict rules about who can use weapons and equipment during an event.

"Members can't use steel [weapons] until they are qualified by an elder," Lowman said. "If you go through three training sessions and own all your own gear, including a full period outfit, armor and a weapon, you can be tested and qualify."

Members use wooden weapons without sharp edges until they are properly trained.

"We don't want to kill each other - we just want to look like we do," said Mary Marlow, who cheered her husband's army from the sidelines. Blackistone has made one key observation from his 37 years as a club member. "It's hard to make it through these events," he said. "It really wears you out to fight on the field with a heavy sword and shield. The Vikings didn't have to wake up and go to work on Monday - we do."

Contact reporter David Gill at newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu.