Who Comes to see Re-enactors....well, re-enacting.......?
There are primarily two types of event (Aginoths, feel free to correct me!).
Living History:
Caerphilly was a Living History event. This meant that we effectively 'lived' the life while the usual castle visitors wandered around us. Although we did show off the siege engines (the big weapons; trebuchet, ballista, mangonel and perrier)
and put on a Crime and Punishment session for the holidaymakers, it was mostly just 'living the period'.It was kind of weird, like I said before - almost like being on a permanent stage, definitely an air of the theatrical. Going for lunch in the inner keep would make the public stop and stare...it felt like we were waxworks that suddenly started walking around.....
I would be playing with LMB or talking to the others and would look up to see a video camera being pointed at me.....
A nice American couple came into the castle early on Monday and was admiring the first gatehouse etc and when Mrs USA saw the encampment she exclaimed 'Wow honey! They had TENTS in those days!' :-)
They were also thrilled by the weapons, taking lots of video footage for home!
This is the kind of event that highlights that you need to know your 'skill' from the period, as the public have a nasty habit of asking questions! :-)Shows:
Then there are the Shows, such as military re-enactment, for example The Berkeley Castle Joust. Although these are more specialist events, including lots more groups and activities, market stalls etc, the Company of Chivalry is proud to continue its Living History ideal:
"Unlike many societies we do not differentiate between living history and military re-enactment, enabling us to use one to enhance the other; thereby providing all our members with an ongoing medieval experience throughout the day."
from Company of Chivalry
So there you are - basically anyone in the district, anyone with a feel for history, holidaymakers, and other re-enactors come to events.
cq
6 comments:
But..... What's a bath...?
[snigger]
Cool trebuchet BTW.
brilliant! i just got back from hols myself and caught up with all the last 2 weeks.
though i'll deny i said it to any of my clubby friends... thats looks blooming marvelous!!
i wanna do it too, mee meee please! not only the learning about the past and period clothes etc.. the wandering and staying overnight in the castle is amazing!
i'm soo jealous. well done you.
except for the sewing/embriodery or whatever. hmmm a skill.. i'm sorely lacking in useful ones of those.
Re-enactment in any country that actually has a history to re-enact comes in two types: Living history where we try to recreate the life people led then, remaining as faithfull as possible & safe to clothing, skills, living conditions etc. Obviously we don't go as far as having a 75% child mortality rate, or contreacting the black death tho;-)
All the events you have attended have been this to one degree or another - the joust is just a more flamboyant version:-)
The other type of re-enactment is a military one, where specific battles are recreated, preferably on the original sites, and with the original outcome. It needs some choreography, but most fights only have the overall outcome decided, not each 1:1 melee.
Most companies do a bit of both, but specialise in one or the other.
In the USA they have their very own version of re-enactment called "renfests", where they get to pick a combination of any period & any fantasy they like & wallop each other with plastuic swords next to cardboard castles. I haven't worked out why yet! (in their defence, they do have some real re-enactments too - specifically the war of independance, although apparently they can't find enough people willing to be the English!)
Looks like so much fun!! Not sure if I could handle the sleeping outside and all that, but looks like you had a great time! Love the "bath" conversation! Too cute!
Sending you hugs across the sea! ;)
Sounds like so much fun!!! I'm over from Wendy's :) Thanks for visiting me! Love the way you used "thirteen" to make a sentence LOL
Well thank you my dear CQ...I guess I didn't realize this one you just did was a "living the lifde of that time" kind of event...Very Very interesting! I had realized the Military ones because I have seen some of the pictures and Video on The Aginoths Blogs...
So, here's another question..(Don't know that it is a good one, though...lol..Which of these do you prefer doing? Or is it about equal...?
I think I would like both for different reasons...But then, I've never done these, but I have been in plays and such...
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