i was dismayed by the tone of the discussion but what few folks would have known is that this has become, over the last half-decade, a really painful hot button for those who do Viking reenactment type stuff. Imagine, if you could, that someone gave the Queen (it almost always begins with a gift to the reigning monarch)a veil made of metallic glitter. So she graciously wears it, falls in love with it. Soon three or four other prominent members of the court are also wearing them and now men are sporting glitter-covered coifs. Then another set of Royals step up and another set of glittery headwear is presented to them as well as to the members of their households. More people begin wearing them and commissioning them. And then the Eoyals down the line, loving this 'new' style begin pressuring the Laurels to agree that this is worthy for peerage. At the same time unbeknownst to quite a few mmbers of the Society, academic institutes begin withdrawing support because they've seen the preponderance of the newly adopted fashion. "No" they say, "it is obvious you are not an educational organization." Living Reenactment groups across the board point and laugh saying that this proves that the SCA is no more historical than LARPs and even Rennfairs. and all of that disapproval and scorn is focused directly at a section of membership who haven't done a danged thing to encourage the glitter wear and shrink from seeing it.

Viking folks have been subjected to thar for years now. I have had to defend myself, and the SCA, for long enough that I've quit Viking reenactment. so what you read was the bitterness of seeing the cartoon Viking style invade a new kingdom, and the fear that their beloved kingdom will go the way of Atlantia, where historically-correct Norse clothing has all but disappeared in favor of flash.