Live, Laugh, LARP

weapons—but Belegarth straddles the middle ground of more extreme styles. Fighters choose a name for themselves, train, socialize within their local realm and prepare for large battles.

There are two Belegarth groups that span eastern Iowa: Beornve in the Quad Cities and Tirn Hithui in Iowa City. These groups are called “realms’’ or “parks.” Noah Jones, co-leader of the Beornve realm, has been fighting for 10 years.

“I love the fighting and events, but I would say the main thing is the incredible community. The vast majority of people I interact with, outside of work and family, I met through Belegarth,” Jones said. “I originally thought it was just going to be something fun to do on weekends, but it has become such an integral part of my life that I can’t imagine not being as involved in it as I am.” said Walter McCallum, or Worthane. “It used to have a ‘might makes right’ feel, and people are much more conscious of each other now.”

Once a week, the Tirn Hithui group reserves time to work on their weapons or armor as needed. They also have community weapons available that are made, repaired or donated during these crafting sessions. After Monday night practice they have dinner and play board games.

Still, the fighting is the main event. Players learn tactics, play styles and narratives at weekly practices, which then culminate in large regional or national events. Each player develops their own fighting style while learning the fighting style of their sparring partner.

BY SARA ELGATIAN

In a sunny clearing at Vander Veer Botanical Park, two sides draw their foam weapons and charge. This is Belegarth, a medieval-themed combat game.

“Exercise is boring,” said Mazog, a Belegarth player of over 20 years. “Fighting is not boring.”

Belegarth falls under the umbrella of Live Action Role Playing (LARPing). There are other types of medieval-style combat— some have strict narrative, others use metal

Belegarth fighters use weapons that are usually homemade, with a firm center made of fiberglass, PVC or light wood, that are then wrapped in foam. Weapon guidelines have two general categories: “blue” swords can be up to a certain length, and “red” swords must be over that length. Fighters can also use daggers, bowed weapons and shields during some events.

“They should never leave a mark,” said Tirn Hithui founder Amber Shaffer, or Aza.

There’s been an increased awareness for safety concerns at the national level, better methods of reporting people, revoking memberships, and so on, Jones said.

“I started in 2009 and it’s changed a lot,”

Some events are just fights, but others include storylines and roles. Players are divided by character traits to see how they fit into the storyline. Regional fights like Wolfpack Opener and Oktoberfest, and national events like Battle For The Ring, use storylines to escalate the fight.

Battle For The Ring is one of Jones’ favorite events. It’s essentially a mini festival. Some days have fighting classes and crafting sessions, tournaments, big line-fights, vendors, etc.

“Most people camp at the event site, so nightlife in the past has had lighted areas for fighting, bardic competitions,” Jones said. “I’ve even seen people bring out a DJ setup and host a party. It’s really only limited to the effort people are willing to put in to do it.”

Gannon Clark, or Aardwolf, a co-leader of Tirn Hithui, has been in several different LARPing and martial arts groups throughout his life, but Belegarth is his favorite.

“I keep coming back for the community. These are my people,” Clark said.

Realms typically have some overlap, and Beornve and Tirn Hithui are no exception, especially in the winter months. This happens as populations wane with cold weather, or when looking for new practice locations. (In warm months, fighters meet at parks, hence why realms are colloquially referred to as parks.)

Beornve quit practicing during the winter of 2019 and took a long hiatus when the pandemic hit the next year, which the national Belegarth organization encouraged.

“Belegarth as a whole took COVID pretty seriously from what I saw,” Jones said. “Even when we were back to practicing we had extra guidelines that were recommended by the organization.”

But weather and pandemics aren’t the only factors for attendance. After Game of Thrones premiered on HBO in 2011, Belegarth realms saw participation swell before tapering off. The same happened in 2015 before a massive national event.

Even with the mainstream “nerd culture” renaissance—with the box-office powerhouse of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the resurgence of Dungeons & Dragons following Stranger Things or countless other IPs—there’s still stigmas and stereotypes that surround LARPing and adjacent activities, Jones said.

“People don’t like calling it [LARPing] because there’s a stigma that comes with the term. The great thing is, once you get past that, you see there’s something for everyone,” he said. “I know people who don’t go to events but have shown up in gym clothes every Saturday for years just to swing sticks. Other people have spent hundreds of hours getting their garb exactly how they want it and can tell you their entire character background. Then there’s people that fall everywhere in between.”

Jones cautions people not to let preconceived ideas stop them from trying it out.

“I never pictured myself doing anything like Belegarth until I actually showed up and tried it for myself,” he said. “There is a wide-ranging community, and odds are you’re going to meet people you have things in common with outside Belegarth too.”

In good weather, Beornve meets at Vander Veer Park in Davenport at noon on Saturdays. And Tirn Hithui meets in City Park, near the cabins, in Iowa City at 3 p.m. on Sundays and 5 p.m. on Mondays.