Historical - Medieval & Renaissance

Medieval

Medieval reenactment is a form of historical reenactment that focuses on re-enacting European history in the period from the fall of Rome to about the end of the 15th Century. The second half of this period is often called the Middle Ages. This multiplicity of terms is compounded by the variety of other terms used for the period.

The first period is sometimes called the Migration Period or Dark Ages by Western European historians, and as Völkerwanderung ("wandering of the peoples") by German historians. This term is usually reserved for the 5th and 6th centuries. Re-enactors who re-create the next period of history - 7th to 11th Century - often refer to this as Early medieval. The 12th to 14th Centuries fall under the term High medieval, while the 15th century is often termed Late medieval.

With such a wide range of eras most medieval reenactment groups focus on a smaller time period, sometimes restricting their interest to a particular century, or even a specific decade or monarch, depending on how authentic the reenactment and encampment is intended to be.

Rennaisance

Renaissance festivals are a little different from actual "reenactments." They are outdoor weekend gatherings, usually held in the United States, open to the public and generally commercial in nature, which emulates a historic period for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, others are short-term events in fairgrounds or other large public or private spaces.

Renaissance fairs generally include an abundance of costumed entertainers, musical and theatrical acts, art and handicrafts for sale, and festival food. Most Renaissance fairs are set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Some are set earlier, during the reign of Henry VIII, or in other countries, such as France, and some include broader definitions of the Renaissance which include earlier periods, such as the Vikings, or later, such as 18th Century pirates.

Origins

Although historical reenactments are by no means exclusive to the United States (for example, the Earl of Eglinton in Scotland sponsored a large tournament as early as 1839), the Renaissance Fair is, arguably, a uniquely American variation on the theme, having as much the flavor of an amusement park combined with a shopping mall as of a historical reenactment.

European historical fairs, on the other hand, seem more on the living history museum model, where an actual historic site is peopled by re-enactors whose job it is to explain historical life to modern visitors.

The first American fair, The Renaissance Pleasure Faire (Agoura, CA) was originally designed by the Living History Center to resemble an actual spring market fair of the period. Many of the original booths were no-charge reenactments of historical activities such as printing presses, and blacksmiths. The first commercial vendors were mostly artisans and food merchants and were required to demonstrate historical accuracy or plausibility for their wares.

Authentic camping, cooking, practicing historical skills and trades, and playing historical musical instruments or board games are all examples of activities related to living history.

Reenactors

Although different from other reenactments, Renaissance Fair participants generally borrow from a range of history and often incorporate fantasy or Hollywood-inspired elements into a presentation for public entertainment while the activities of the SCA range anywhere in between Renaissance faire and living history based on group and people.

Many who participate at Renaissance faires, particularly the "reenactors" of the period, tend to take the study and practice of the history very seriously. Many of the things we know about the history of theses times can be credited to the SCA and other historians who reenacted a craft or practice at a Renaissace faire.

Whole groups of volunteers organized into "guilds" to focus on specific reenactment duties (musicians, military, celtic clans, peasants, etc). Both actors and vendors are required to successfully complete workshops in period language/accents, costuming and culture and to stay "in character" while working.

One of the best examples of this type of Renaissance festival that still requires these parameters is the cast of Scarborough Renaissance Festival who actually have employed a range of actors and volunteers through the Scarborough Academy of Performing Arts (SAPA) - a workshop process that teaches professional skills such as Improve, Staging, Gaurilla Theater, Interaction, Character Develpment, as well as Historical, Customs, and Manners training. More...