Every Sunday at noon Bonner Park becomes a battleground for a handful of fighters with foam-padded medieval weapons who slash, hack and jab at one another in a fantasy war against evil.
Missoula residents, some of whom work in a local beauty salon, a homeless shelter and for a beverage distribution company, leave behind their 9-to-5 persona and enter the world of orcs, elves and dwarves.
Across the country, hundreds of other people are involved in similar exploits and practicing their warrior skills in their own like gatherings as part of a national organization called Dagorhir, which translated from J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works, means "battle lords" in the language of elves.
All of it is a little far-fetched said Chris Bashaw, organizer of the Missoula chapter, but it's great exercise and an excuse for science fiction fans to get together.
"Everybody thinks this is a little weird," Bashaw said, commenting on the looks his group gets from other Bonner Park users. "But we have a great time."
All weapons must be in accordance to national rules outlined in the Dagorhir organization. Safety comes first, and the only time someone can be hit from the neck up is with foam-made "rocks" and arrows, and all the other weaponry such as axes and staves are well-padded.
It's all in fun, and it's all in earnest. Come July 20, dozens of Dagorhir warriors from around the Northwest will duke it out in an all-day contest at Johnsrud Park organized by the Missoula chapter.
That event starts at noon and will include dagger and long sword tournaments, a weapon-of-choice tournament, a field battle and a woods battle.
Festivities will conclude with a days of yore inspired feast, awards for valiant warriors and a closing celebration.
Hopefully, in the not too distant future, the Missoula tournament will rival the annual festival in Cambridge, Ohio, which began in the early 1980s and draw upwards of 500 participants, Bashaw said.
Unlike the Society for Creative Anachronism, which is dedicated to researching and recreating pre-17th-century European History, Dagorhir members dedicate themselves to something even more ancient in the world of man: fun.
"Instead of being historically accurate, we are fantastically inaccurate," Bashaw said.
"For me, this is just another aspect of gaming in the fantasy genre," said Jamie Hooyboer, a member of the Missoula chapter. "This is a way to bring that world alive."
Although the Missoula Dagorhir chapter is two months old, and few people know about it, its membership currently stands at 10.
"Anyone who is interested is welcome," Bashaw. Teenagers 13 years and older are allowed to participate with parental consent.
"We don't promote magic or devil worshipping or anything like that," Bashaw said laughing.
"In Nashville, where I was involved with a group there, down in the Bible Belt," he said, "people thought we were trying to summon a demon or something crazy."
On the Net
The official Web site for Dagorhir is www.dagorhir.com. Learn more about the local chapter at www.angel
fire.com/dragon/gorothannon.
Reporter Betsy Cohen can be reached at 523-5253 or at bcohen@missoulian.com
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