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 centuries – 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. 2003 reenactment of the 1410 Battle of Grunwald Medieval reenactment is a form of historical reenactment that focuses on re-enacting European history in the period from the fall of Rom
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, series of battles, or monarch, depending on how authentic the reenactment and encampment is intended to be.
Living history
Reenactment of everyday life
Medieval period oriented living history groups and reenactors focus on recreating civilian or military life in period of the Middle Ages. It is very popular in Eastern Europe. The goal of the reenactor and their group is to portray an accurate interpretation of a person who credibly could exist at a specific place at a specific point in time while at the same time remaining approachable to the public. Examples of living history activities include authentic camping, cooking, practicing historical skills and trades, and playing historical musical instruments or board games.
Renaissance Fair participants generally borrow from a range of history and often incorporate fantasy or Hollywood-inspired elements into a presentation for public entertainment. In contrast, activities of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) include everything from artistic disguises for modern items such as ice chests, to exhaustive research and authentic living history events.
The principal aim of this sort of reenactment is to re-create historical battles or methods of combat. The variations range from training of historical dueling practices (usually with an appropriate period sword such as an arming sword or rapier and wrestling as a martial art), to reenactment of historical or legendary battles of the medieval period.
Some groups treating historical combat as a martial art do not fit the traditional definition of a reenactment group and are more similar to fencing clubs. An example is the SCA, which uses rattan swords to avoid injury. Others combine the sport with more traditional forms of reenactment, such as living history. It is usual to fight using more restricted target areas than in a real fight and with less speed and force, although some systems try to get as close to real combat as possible. Many societies try to reenact actual battles on or near the battle site. These events are usually open to the public to watch. Other societies such as the SCA hire venues for private events, including combat, without any public present.
The Federation of the Wars of the Roses is a British-based society which specialises in reenactments of the 15th Century. It stages events at historical sites all over Britain, including those on or near actual battle sites. There are rules on weapons, clothing and armour which are observed by the Households that are Federation members. New Households wishing to enter the Federation are sponsored by established ones, and endure a probationary period to ensure standards are observed.
Reenactment in Europe
Reenactment during the Great Procession of TournaiAn official invitation to the Eglinton TournamentModern stylized imagery of the Slavs of the 12th–13th centuries. Medieval living history in Russia. Historical Reconstruction Club from Ruzsky Urban District, Moscow Oblast.
There have been many isolated examples of medieval reenactment in Europe, notably the Eglinton Tournament of 1839. In modern times, medieval reenactment has been popular in the United Kingdom, starting in the late 1960s and growing every year since, with groups from all over England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales participating in events. Many UK battles are reenacted at their original battle sites by enthusiasts with a high degree of authenticity, together with Medieval traders, musicians, caterers. UK reenactors can be seen throughout the country during the summer months at battles, fairs, carnivals, fetes, pubs and schools. Almost entirely throughout the UK, reenactors use blunted steel weapons for reenactments and rubber tipped arrows (blunts) for archers, or steel heads when target shooting. The largest early medieval event in the UK is the Battle of Hastings reenactment, which in 2006 had over 3600 registered participants and combined living history and combat reenactment. Most UK battles have at some point been reenacted such as the Battle of Lewes and the Battle of Evesham, many historical battles are reenacted annually from periods such as the Wars of the Roses, including the Battle of Bosworth Field and the Battle of Tewkesbury. Others are carried out at irregular intervals depending on the site availability and funding for the event, such as the Battle of Bannockburn.
Belgium has at least two dozen separate groups of medieval reenactors, including the Order of the Hagelanders, the Gentsche Ghesellen and the Gruuthuse Household serving Lewis de Bruges, lord of Gruuthuse.[1]
The open air museumMiddelaldercentret uses living history and historical reenactment to portrait a part of a small Danish merchant town. Several reenactment groups exists in Denmark which are doing medieval reenactment at markets around the country.
In Germany medieval reenactment is usually associated with living history and renaissance fairs and festivals as e.g. the Peter and Paul festival in Bretten.[2] or the Schloss Kaltenberg knights tournament.[3] In the past few years combat reenactment has gained some ground as well. A few groups are training historical combat such as longsword dueling and dussack fighting at universities, but the majority of combat reenactment groups are battlefield reenactment groups, some of which have become isolated to some degree because of a strong focus on authenticity (some groups refuse to fight groups representing different or wider periods, even if the combat practices would be entirely compatible otherwise). In general, the specific German approach of Authenticity (reenactment) is less about replaying a certain event, but to allow an immersion in a certain era. Historic city festivals and events are quite important to build up local communities and contribute to the self-image of municipalities.[4] Events in monuments or on historical sites are less about the events related to them but as mere staffage for the immersion experience.[5] Among many battlefield reenactors in Germany, the Codex Belli has become a de facto standard.[citation needed]
In Poland, the Battle of Grunwald reenactment every year on 15 July is the best known and attracts participants and visitors from many other countries. It is associated with living history and a medieval fair.
In Sweden there are many different "medieval markets". The largest is the one in Gotland. In Szeklerland, Transylvania are many Hun, szekler knight, early Hungarian and hussar reenactment groups and camps. One of those is the Szekler knights (Lofos) reenactment group in Torboszlo.
In Portugal there is one of the biggest historical recreations in Europe that takes place every summer called Viagem Medieval em Terra de Santa Maria. This event has won several international prizes given by different entities such as Global Eventex Awards (Ireland, 2017), Awards Eventoplus (Spain, 2017), Moros d'Alqueria Foundation (Spain, 2016), Trip Advisor (2015), among others. Each year the reign of a different king in Portuguese history is portrayed and it lasts about 12 days. There are different shows every hour happening at the same time and you can also buy tickets to customized experiences.
Notes
↑ Dan Bilefsky, "Belgians Hail the Middle Ages (Well, Not the Plague Part)", New York Times, Monday, April 9, 2007, p. A4
↑ Benita Luckmann: Bretten, Politik in einer deutschen Kleinstadt. Enke, Stuttgart 1970, ISBN3-432-01618-2.
↑ Michael Petzet: "In the full richness of their authenticity" - The Test of Authenticity and the New Cult of Monuments, Nara Conference on Authenticity in Relation to the World Heritage 1994.
Historical reenactments is an educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms and follow a plan to recreate aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of Pickett's Charge presented during the 1913 Gettysburg reunion, or as broad as an entire period, such as Regency reenactment.
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is similar to, and sometimes incorporates, historical reenactment. Living history is an educational medium used by living history museums, historic sites, heritage interpreters, schools and historical reenactment groups to educate the public or their own members in particular areas of history, such as clothing styles, pastimes and handicrafts, or to simply convey a sense of the everyday life of a certain period in history.
The Pennsic War is an annual American medieval and Renaissance camping event held by the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), a "war" between two large regional SCA groups: the Kingdom of the East and the Middle Kingdom. It is the single largest annual SCA event, with more than 10,000 people attending each year, from as far as China, South Korea, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, and Australia.
A Renaissance or medieval fair is an outdoor gathering that aims to entertain its guests by recreating a historical setting, most often the English Renaissance.
American Civil War reenactment is an effort to recreate the appearance of a particular battle or other event associated with the American Civil War by hobbyists known as Civil War reenactors, or living historians.
Codex Belli is the name of a set of rules for medieval combat reenactment first issued in 1999 and then revised by the German umbrella group Kämpferliste in 2002.
The Battle of Hastings reenactment is a yearly reenactment of the Battle of Hastings, held at Battle Abbey in Battle, East Sussex, UK, and drawing participants from around the world. It takes place every year on the weekend nearest 14 October on the site of the historical battle, although it is often arranged across the hill rather than up it, to take account of the smaller number of participants and the need for spectators.
The Battle of Waterloo reenactment is an annual modern recreation of the 19th century Battle of Waterloo on the original battlefield in Waterloo, Belgium.
The Vikings are a British-based society of historical re-enactors, dedicated to the study and re-enactment of the culture of the Viking Age (790–1066) and the display of authentic Dark Ages living history and combat.
Combat reenactment is a side of historical reenactment which aims to depict historical forms of combat. This may refer to either single combat, melees involving small groups, or nearly full-scale battles with hundreds of participants.
In historical reenactment, authenticity is a measure of how close an item, prop, action, weapon, tactic, or custom is to what would actually have been used or done in the time period being depicted. For example, in most northern European medieval reenactment cotton is an inauthentic material—as opposed to wool or linen—though it would be authentic in more modern periods and events, such as American Civil War reenactment or World War II reenactment. Likewise, pop culture references and talking about modern events or objects is inauthentic.
Regia Anglorum, or simply Regia, is a Medieval reenactment organisation reenacting the life and times of the peoples who lived in and around the Islands of Britain from the time of Alfred the Great to Richard the Lionheart. Its members portray Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Norman and British living history from the period before the Norman Conquest. The society has gained in popularity as a result of being featured in prominent television programmes such as Michael Wood on Beowulf, Time Team and A History of Britain.
World War II reenactment is the historical reenactment of the various combatants involved in World War II.
Classical reenactment tends to focus on portrayals of the Greco-Roman world, and especially on modern recreations of Roman legions and ancient Greek hoplites.
The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a medieval reenactment group with an international membership, founded in California in 1966. Members of the group participate, to a greater or lesser extent, in a wide variety of activities based on those found in pre-1601 CE cultures. The vast majority of interests in the SCA are either combat-focused, or focused on the day-to-day crafts of the period, known within the Society as A&S. Gatherings of the SCA are events, at which attempts at pre-17th century costume must be worn, and practices or meetings, at which costuming is largely up to each member's discretion—although sufficient safety equipment must always be worn for practicing combat skills.
Historical re-enactment in Australia has been occurring since at least the early 1970s. With no conventional land battles and few protracted civil disturbances since the British colonisation of Australia, most military re-enactment in Australia focuses on events from other countries, including the European Feudal, medieval, and renaissance eras.
The Battle of Grolle is a regular historical reenactment of the siege of the fortified border town of Groenlo in the Achterhoek in 1627 during the Dutch Revolt. It is held in and around Groenlo itself every two years. The event lasts for three days and features a historic battle reenactment and a historic fair, with reenactors from many European countries. During the event, the reenactors try to relive the conditions of 1627 as faithfully as possible, without electricity or heating, while eating traditional food.
The Medieval Siege Society is a British living history and combat reenactment association dedicated to costumed reenactment of siege warfare, combat reenactment and events surrounding the history known as the Hundred Years War and the Wars of the Roses. Apart from reenactment, it is also involved in research into the history of the period, and education about the same.
Renaissance reenactment is historical reenactment of events of the Renaissance period and the European Age of Exploration. In its broadest use, it encompasses reenactment of periods from the early 15th century through the mid-18th century. Reenactments of earlier events are commonly termed medieval reenactment, while more recent events are modern reenactment. Events and periods within Renaissance reenactment vary by region and nation, but include the English Civil War in the United Kingdom, the Eighty Years' War in the Low Countries, L'Escalade in Switzerland, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in eastern Europe, and the early colonial period in the United States and Canada.
The commemoration of the American Civil War is based on the memories of the Civil War that Americans have shaped according to their political, social and cultural circumstances and needs, starting with the Gettysburg Address and the dedication of the Gettysburg cemetery in 1863. Confederates, both veterans and women, were especially active in forging the myth of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy.
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