Chivalry’s not dead
Kevin Hodges, or Sir Styrkarr Jarskald, prepares to fight on the top floor of the Goodyear Heights United Presbyterian Church in Akron on Thursday, Nov. 4. Hodges, an ER doctor at Akron City Hospital, has been with the society for 15 years.
You’d think saving lives would be chivalrous enough, but Hodges doesn’t.
An Emergency Room doctor at Akron City Hospital and a knight in the society, Hodges is also a husband and father of three girls. He has been in the society 15 years, beginning at a chapter in Washington state. He said he was just out of high school when he joined the society. At his first meeting, he borrowed some armor and “fought for about two hours and never had as much fun getting the crap beaten out of me.”
Now Hodges has his own armor. Out of his helmet flows a long, blond ponytail that whips through the air as he fights. He has a white belt, a gold chain and gold spurs — the signs of a knight.
Hodges is a minority in the Middle Realm, the realm to which the Marche of Gwyntarian belongs. Less than 2 percent of fighters in the realm are knights, he says.
Knights are selected by the Knights Council, which is made up of other knights. Fighters can also be dubbed knights by the King or by the Queen if she has the support of a knight.
“The joke is, ‘All it takes is a queen and one knight,’” Hodges says, grinning.
The council looks for good fighters, he says, but it goes beyond that. He said they look for well-rounded people who possess chivalrous qualities. The person has to be kind and involved in other aspects of the society. This includes crafting your own armor and teaching others the art of combat, Hodges says.
The selection process is slow. When someone catches the council’s eye, it begins to watch the candidate more closely. Then, the council will discuss the candidate at each meeting.
“The joke is, ‘All it takes is a queen and one knight.’”
Hodges remembers when he was dubbed a knight by the King. He was dubbed “once, twice, thrice as a knight” with a sword.
Then the King usually punches the knight in the face. Called a “buffet,” Hodges says the custom is the King’s way of saying, “This is the last blow you’ll ever have to take.”
Hodges wanted to lean away from the blow but forgot one small detail — his King was left-handed, so he leaned into it.
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