Hay bale

A bale is a block of compressed organic material (hay or straw), sometimes physically bound together.

Hay bales and the SCA

Hay bales (they may actually be straw but are nevertheless called hay) are used in the SCA to form representations of walls, or borders of any sort (for example, the edges of a bridge). Bales are used because of ease of acquiring, weight, and relative harmlessness if used in combat scenarios (it is not uncommon for fighters to be knocked into or over a bale).