The Good Olde Days : Knights in armor and fair ladies live on in the Society for Creative Anachronism. They will re-create the Middle Ages this weekend in Sylmar.

Chivalry is alive and well in the San Fernando Valley--at least this weekend. The world of knights in shining armor, fair ladies and lords strolling arm in arm and banners flying high over pavilions will be re-created Saturday by the Society for Creative Anachronism at Veterans Memorial Park.

The Society for Creative Anachronism is a nonprofit educational organization devoted to bringing the Middle Ages and Renaissance to life. Members put their research of pre-17th-Century culture into practice by donning period costumes, constructing medieval-style artifacts and learning to fight with sword and shield.

The group tries to interpret the time period as it should have been--evoking its virtues rather than problems. An “anachronism” is something out of its proper time frame, says Sharon Cohen of North Hollywood, who is known at society events as The Honorable Lady Renata Kestryl of Highwynds. “ ‘Creative anachronism’ takes the best qualities of the time and brings it into the present.”

The San Fernando Valley chapter, known as the Barony of Altavia, will recapture this past with a Friendship Tourney commemorating its 12th anniversary and honoring its close ties to the Lancaster/Palmdale chapter, known as Dun Or.

Three types of combat--heavy and light weapons and rapier--will be demonstrated throughout the day. Merchants will sell medieval costumes, jewelry and crafts. In celebration of Mother’s Day, a contest will be held to see who can perform the best original sonnet “in honor of one’s mother.”

“I think what draws most people is the pageantry,” says Cohen. Observers can expect pomp and circumstance at the tournament. The King and Queen of Caid, who earn their title by fighting for it, will attend the event and participate in the opening and closing ceremonies. Caid is the “kingdom” that encompasses Southern California, Las Vegas, Hawaii and New Zealand and is one of 13 such kingdoms around the world.

What began in 1966 as a back-yard party in Berkeley has grown to 15,000 members worldwide with 150 members in the Valley. When joining the organization, members create a persona. For some that means choosing only a name. Others compose a complete personal history.

When developing her persona, Marlene Willauer of Tarzana wanted to translate “who I really am into a person of the Middle Ages.” She chose a variation of her modern given name. Then, incorporating her interests in English literature, French and Spanish, she decided that her persona’s mother was from Spain. Her father, an English nobleman who could speak French, fell in love with her mother en route to the crusades and brought her back to England. Thus, Willauer became Lady Madeleine Fitz Robert de la Foret.

Because she enjoys re-enacting different eras, Willauer’s costumes reflect a range of periods. She says that most longtime members have two kinds of costumes--field garb and more elegant outfits for high court events. Individuals determine how expensive, elaborate or authentic their costumes should be. Those who can’t sew buy their costume or barter their skills with another member in exchange for someone else’s tailoring talents.

Members pursue areas of interest, such as spinning, brewing or calligraphy, by attending guild meetings. Twice a year, workshops in medieval skills are offered.

The most visible activity at tournaments is the martial arts. Fighters must be at least 18 years old, trained and certified. The weapons are made of rattan covered by duct tape, and there aren’t any cutting edges. Combat is based on the honor system. A fighter must recognize and accept the good blows that come to him. Women also participate as fighters, although it is less common. There is one woman fighter in the Valley group.

The society is a family-oriented group, Willauer says. “It’s a great way to make friends and to give back to the community. We present demonstrations at schools and organize tournaments for charities.”

Participants find their lives enriched in another way. The chivalrous conduct they re-enact at events become a part of them.

“You can’t embody these ideals all weekend long without having it carry over into your everyday life,” Willauer says.

Members sometimes find themselves targets of good-natured teasing. John Fisher, a Sylmar resident and Xerox technician, said his boss hung a photo of him in armor on the office wall and labeled it “Customer Satisfaction Coordinator.”

Fisher, known as Duryn the Red, is the appointed Baron of Altavia. Involved with the society for 20 years, he treasures “the magical moments.” Describing one such episode at a regional event, he recalls being in the middle of the field, surrounded by thousands in costume, with the stars shining above and civilization far behind.

“I really felt as if I were in the Middle Ages,” he says. “No matter who I am during the week, I can become who I want to be during re-enactments on weekends. I can escape the cares and strife of the 20th Century.”

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WHERE AND WHEN

What: Altavia/Dun Or Friendship Tourney presented by the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Location: Veterans Memorial Park, 13000 Sayre St., Sylmar.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Price: Free.

Call: (818) 509-5913.

Also: For information about becoming a member, call (818) 508-7491 or write the Society for Creative Anachronism Inc., P.O. Box 360789, Milpitas, CA 95036-0789.