So you want to join the Horde

You've begun asking questions about the Dark Horde. We want to answer those questions. We believe that the path we have chosen is the best path for us, and would welcome anyone who wants to follow it with us. However, we are honor bound to be sure that your knowledge of us is complete before you make such a move, and that the union is not formed under mistaken or false assumptions that may later tear us asunder. The proper time to correct a mistake is before, not after it is made. Some questions frequently asked by others may be in your mind too.

“Do You Have To Be a Mongol To Ride With The Dark Horde?”

No! The Dark Horde has passed through many lands in its many generations of wandering the continent and in so doing has acquired many new members. The rights of the individual are sacred to us, and the traditions of many peoples and cultures have been preserved in the father to son line with no stigma attached to those who are not of Mongol heritage. We are concerned about the quality, not the origin, of our members.

“Is Your Goal To Destroy The Kingdoms?”

No, on two levels. In Medieval terms, we have long enjoyed a nomadic existence and have no desire to take land we cannot or do not wish to hold. Most of our ancestors joined the Horde as an alternative to stagnating in one land or culture, seeking instead the freedom and adventure of eternal wandering and exploration. On a 20th century basis, the Western Europeans are the mainstay of the SCA and provide the foil against which we exercise. If all those swearing allegiance to the Kingdoms either quit or joined the Horde, the entire format of the Society will have been changed and the original idea Lost forever. More important, if we embarrass, demean, or in any other way drag down the Kingdoms, we will in all likelihood be dragged down with them. Our goal is to elevate the existing structure by providing competition. We seek to improve, not destroy.

“If You're So Great, Why Do I Hear `Those' Things About You?”

Just as there is another side to a coin, there is another side to the happy, carefree, outlaw image which we project. Because of the fraternal structure of the Horde, not only do we rally to one another, but we must be careful to protect one another. In the mundane world, anyone who is “different” has a hard time. In the S.C.A., we are the different ones. Because we project an image of unanimity, whatever one brother does is taken to be stereotypical of the Horde as a whole. This simply means that each Hordesman must be on his best behavior at all times; if one slips or blunders, the entire Horde can be disgraced. And there are those who watch us carefully, waiting for just such a slip or breach of etiquette.

“What Is The Difference Between The Horde And The Kingdoms?”

Well, they both talk about Honor a lot, so it can't be that. They also talk about Brotherhood a lot, so it can't be that either. They both have bureaucracies (ug!)- more and more as time goes on- so there's no difference there. Vague, general terms such as “honor”, “brotherhood”, “democracy”, are not very good for describing practical differences anyway, because each of us has his/her own definition of the terms, usually incompatible with everyone else's. So we're back to the question: pragmatically speaking, “What is the difference between the Horde and the Kingdoms?”

The Kingdoms are based on a generic western European medieval court situation, landbound, culturebound, not readily able to interact with, or incorporate members of outlying cultures– the Vikings, Samuri, and other odds `n ends. (Of course, the current Kingdoms don't really know what to do with these critters either.)

The Horde is based on an early nomadic culture which stressed independence, mobility, flexibility, and a frantic scramble to keep basically incompatible clans busy killing outsiders rather than each other. Although in their own way almost as culturebound as the Europeans, they did not insist that conquered peoples adopt their culture, but allowed them to retain their own. They observed these cultures, and occasionally adapted some of these newly-found ideas to their own use.

One major surface difference between us and them is the way in which our respective leaders are chosen. In each Kingdom, the reigning monarch and his/her Consort are selected at a Crown Tourney by right-of-arms- in other words, whoever is the biggest, baddest sumbich in the valley that day gets to rule his/her Kingdom for six months. In the Horde, the Kakhan is selected annually by vote of Khuraltai- where all Hordesmen have voice and vote. In this, each group follows its historic predecessor.