by Marrel I'rous O'Daiwen
Most of you have a vague idea of what Dagorhir is; you have either seen the YouTube video, watched it on Memorial lawn, or perhaps both. Many passersby have described it as "geeky kids running around and hitting each other with foam swords." While this may be a first-glance definition, many do not delve into the matter to discover the true nature of Dagorhir.
Contrary to its Geneva dialect, Dagorhir, meaning "Battle Lords," is not pronounced DAH-ger-hire, but DAH-gore-here, and is taken from one of J.R.R. Tolkien's Elven languages. Dagorhir is a full-combat live-action
role-playing game, where the art of weaponry is brought together with character play from historical and fantasy settings. This means that the player is not simply sitting at a table - they are actually living the event.
national battle, was held in Ohio. Since then Ragnarok has grown from approximately 80 fighters to 1,262 in 2007, even though many fighters do not attend.
There are at least 80 different Dagorhir Chapters across the United States, as well as groups in Canada, Japan and Puerto Rico. These groups are divided into units as well as unofficial groups, like Geneva's Ereb
Nan which means "lonely valley." Dagorhir came to Geneva through an existing member in 2002 and became a club in 2004. It is located in the Pittsburgh-based Chapter of Angaron. Unlike Drentha, the Grove City unit, Ereb Nan has not undergone the paperwork to become an official unit.
The three watchwords of Dagorhir are safety, playability, and realism, with the emphasis going in that order. National rules prescribe how a player reacts when they are stabbed, slashed, or hit, and how they die.
Other rules determine what type of damage different types of weapons cause. Weapons are made from non-metal cores of fiberglass or PVC which are padded with foam to ensure that the weapon will break before human bone does.
But what is it about the game that makes students, lawyers, artists, store/project managers, psychologists, police officers, soldiers, moms, writers, construction workers, consultants, IRS employees and computer-oriented people between the ages of 11 to over 45 want to run about hitting each other? Some do it for the "friendship and camaraderie," to relieve stress, to get the adrenaline rush of combat, as an outlet to express oneself, and to get a fulfilling combination of sport and game.
One 45-year-old married man who goes by the character name of "Graymael" and has been a prominent leader in Dagorhir since joining in 1979 said, "Dagorhir gave me the confidence to face every challenge in my life like I'm facing foes on the battlefield: stare it in the eye and grin, knowing that the Fight's the Thing. I'm not afraid of failure or defeat...only the dishonor of Not Fighting." Graymael is accomplished, with over 120 professionally published works, degrees in Journalism and Project Management, and working as a senior technical project manager with the IRS. He also has two teenagers.
Deos of Antioch, a student in Michigan, said, "My rush in Dagorhir isn't the thrill of combat. It's not because I like to dress in medieval clothing. The happiness that I get is when I see one of my brothers do something amazing, and inside of his eye, I see that glimmer of satisfaction and completion. That he knows for a fleeting second, he is more powerful than any other person alive. That is my rush."
So is Dagorhir for weirdoes? Graymael stated, "Sure, Dagorhir is for weirdoes... like every other hobby," and Blakhawk the Apollyon of Maryland said, "Any sport can be described as weird, but good luck finding one as inclusive as Dag."
Is it for wimps? Briar Rose, stepmother of two stated, "People dismiss things as being ‘for wimps' when they are afraid to try it themselves."
Krimhild of Geneva invited, "Try it, see if you like it, and do it enough to know for sure," while Istivan remarked, "It's one of those things you can learn in an hour but takes a lifetime to master." Grimhan of Ohio sums up both contentions by stating, "Dagorhir is for all types of people - even wimps and weirdoes. And you will find all types of people." To learn more about Dagorhir visit http://www.dagorhir.com/.