Michelle Height, a heavy fighter from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who goes by the name Inga the Unfettered, peers from beneath her steel helmet at the 20th annual Ursulmas Medieval Faire at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds on Saturday.
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Michelle Height, a heavy fighter from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who goes by the name Inga the Unfettered, peers from beneath her steel helmet at the 20th annual Ursulmas Medieval Faire at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds on Saturday. |
MONROE — Beads of sweat collected on Karen Bright's forehead and then dripped freely down the sides of her face.
Bright ignored them. She had the first heavy combat fight of her life on her mind. Besides, she couldn't reach the sweat anyway, her head sheathed under a helmet of 16-gauge steel, the same heavy duty sheet metal used to build industrial sinks.
"I have 11 people to fight in this first round, so I'm a little nervous," Bright said. The stocky redhead shuffled anxiously in place while holding her 25-pound shield in one hand and her sword in the other.
Bright's first tournament fight ended fast. A single swipe to her hip from her opponent's poleaxe killed Bright in seconds. And though the 31-year-old Index woman was down, she wasn't out.
"I die quickly," Bright said, a broad smile appearing through the slits in her helmet. "I'm here for the learning experience. I mean just getting the armor on is a challenge for me. But I'm still having fun."
Bright was one of 90 fighters who participated in the 20th annual Ursulmas Medieval Faire at the Evergreen Fairgrounds. The fair, which attracted 1,600 people last year, featured dueling knights, rapier combat and wares crafted in the tradition of the Middle Ages.
The Snohomish County branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism sponsored the fair. The nonprofit group researches and recreates medieval history.
And the fairground's main arena turned into a scene from the Middle Ages as warriors carried on in mock battle while spectators dressed in capes looked on. During the tournaments, female water bearers, exposing ample cleavage, paraded through the crowds offering drink, while children approached the fighters with baskets of pretzels and orange slices.
At one point in the tournament, the dozens of competitors ceased their combat and fell to their knees as a curly-haired squire knelt before the king, swore his fidelity on the sword and accepted the white belt of a knighthood. Then the king whacked the newly made knight across the face, hard enough for him to loose his balance. In the ceremonial parlance, that was the last blow the knight will take unanswered.
Then the king hugged him, the crowd cheered and the tournament continued.
Sean Thomas, a 19-year-old from Kenmore, is one of a group of female fighters known as the Battle Babes. Thomas has been fighting for three years and though she admits it's tough to go up against the men, she loves the thrill of heavy combat.
"The general consensus is women have just as much instinct to kill as the men," said Thomas.
All members of the anachronism society take period names. Like fighter Michelle Height, of Edmonton, Alberta, who calls herself Inga the Unfettered. She says she's called that because she fights with an enthusiastic spirit.
Height, 33, wishes to be a knight someday and fights two to three times a week. With a bachelor of arts in medieval history, Height exercises her mind and body in the Middle Ages almost daily.
"When I was exposed to the society it was an absolutely perfect fit," Height said. "I like the honor and the chivalry. But I like the one-on-one combat because I like to succeed by my own hand and excel by nothing except what I bring into the match with me."
Height has fought in 12 tournaments in just a year's time. Though she's never won, she's placed well, sometimes making it to the fifth round. Height says she has a glorious time fighting.
"But I smile a lot under my helmet," said Height, beaming with a Cheshire Cat grin. "And some of the men find that very disconcerting."
