Hear ye, hear ye!
I was in West Hartford Center when I stumbled across the annual Bookwyrm Fest, held in and around the Noah Webster Library in Blueback Square.
Now in its third year, the Bookwyrm Fest was the brainchild of Kari Karp, the teen services librarian. The original idea was a celebration of table-top gaming. As the festival has grown in popularity, so have the offerings.
“This is our celebration of all things fantasy, role-playing, gaming, Dungeons & Dragons, that sort of thing,” said Laura Irmscher, director of the library. “This is a great example of how libraries welcome every member of the community in, and we try to have fun and exciting things to do, and everything we do is always free.”
Irmscher said that the fest brings out a mix of people, from those who showed up for the gaming to the people coming to the library for regular business who are surprised by the event, and then hang out, check out the vendors, and play the games.
I asked her if she is a gamer herself. She told me that her daughter was teaching her both Dungeons and Dragons and Magic the Gathering.
On the other side of the library, I ran into the experienced gamers. Carl Hess of the West Hartford Tabletop Game Club was busy setting up a game called Bitoku, which he had never played but was determined to understand. He said that learning a new game can be a challenge, but that the more complicated the game, the more rewarding the experience.
He put me onto a game called Traveller, released in 1977 and written by Marc Miller. He said called the science fiction offering “the greatest role playing game ever released,” so color me intrigued.
The other main draw of the event was, of course, the sword play. Replica weapons were provided by Laurel City Historical Fencing, a nonprofit out of Winsted. The members aren’t just random sword swingers though. They practice Historical European Martial Arts (known as HEMA), which is part workout and part archaeology. Laurel City members study manuscripts and other historical documents ranging from the 1400s through the 1600s to accurately recreate fighting styles from the era.
The presentation was also a lesson, with the members explaining the history of the weapons, the techniques that knights and other warriors used in combat, and distinguishing techniques between the Germanic Holy Roman Empire and the Italian Roman Empire. As a history fan, I found it fascinating to learn that broad swords were reserved for the wealthy elite who could afford them, while poorer soldiers made due with one handed swords and other cheaper, more accessible weapons.
Enough of the nerdy history stuff; we’re all here for the sword fights. The two combatants, Harper and Nate, took to the battlefield with long swords in hand. The clashing of steel echoed across Blueback Square, and in the end, Nate was victorious by audience vote.
It was great to see so many people of all backgrounds enjoying themselves in Ye Olde West Hartford. I’m already looking forward to attending the 4th annual Bookwyrm Fest.
NEXT
Jamil is really taking the rest of the weekend off now. See you next week!
