You may have heard about medieval reenactment. You may have heard the term “medieval recreation.” What’s the difference if the end result is “dress up in medieval costumes with buddies?” There are important differences between these two types of medieval hobbies:
- Medieval Reenactment: Participants portray a distinct scene from history as accurately as possible. You’ve got your Battle of Hastings. You’ve got your Battle of Agincourt. These are fantastic views into what historical life would have looked like. However, due to the accuracy of the weapons and armor used, the fighting is scripted and participation is limited to performers and an audience. This is much like a medieval version of a Civil War reenactment. The term “reenactment” is used because participants try to enact a particular moment in time.
- Medieval Recreation: Participants portray a variety of historic items, cultures, and periods, all at once. This means you can have people portraying samurai, knights, and jaguar warriors, as well as princesses, shieldmaidens, and Renaissance guilds, all at the same event. Each person is a bit like a living history book in a very flamboyant shelf. While you can’t call such an event “accurate” to any one time or place, individuals and individual locations can be of the same quality as a historical reenactor’s setup. The lower bar for accuracy can lead to accusations of “LARP,” but it also allows a wider range of people to participate instead of putting a strict barrier between audience and performer. The term “recreation” is used because participants attempt to create items, outfits, events, and activities from whichever time period interests them.
Personally, I participate in medieval recreation. Is it a LARP? Depends on who you ask. I’m going to defer to an expert in the field who says, “we’re all born naked and the rest is drag.” No matter how much money someone spends and no matter how authentic their stuff is, dressing up in a medieval costume and running around in a field kind of makes you a nerd. The art and the transformative magic of dress-up has many forms of expression, and I don’t think any are better than others.
So, historical recreation. What do we get up to? Here are some things that I’ve gotten to do:
- Participate in full-contact, unscripted fights. I’ve done duels as well as melees ranging from 10 to several thousand participants.
- Brew mead and beer.
- Bake bread.
- Sew outfits.
- Craft armor and clothing from leather.
- Participate in medieval dances.
- Sing medieval songs.
- Play medieval music.
- Camp for weeks at a time with other medieval hobbyists, and not a cell phone in sight for miles.
- Throw knives, spears, and axes.
- Shoot bows and crossbows.
- Paint shields and banners.
- And so on and so forth.
And that’s just what I do! I have friends who are blacksmiths, woodworkers, songwriters, heralds, event-runners, bead-makers, playwrights, coin-minters, and more! If a medieval person did it, and it’s not illegal or harmful to others, there’s a chance you can find someone to teach it to you.
Why do we do it?
- Fun. I’m a pacifist in real life, but boy do I like hitting people in combat sports. Making beads and stained glass pictures requires a lot of fire. Painting can get you into a chilled out, zen state. I know friends who never look happier than when they’re dancing or singing. It’s just a good time.
- Stuff. If you make stuff, you have stuff. Even if you don’t like a given crafting activity, getting to make your very own copy of a historical item can be fulfilling. Perfecting those skills can net you items that are functionally identical to real historical artifacts.
- Community. If you and ten other people are the only ones in your city who like to forge swords, you can build a friendship out of that. The modern world can be difficult to navigate, and it’s hard to make friends as an adult. Hobbies are a great way to make friends while learning new skills.
If any of this sounds like fun, then you may have found your newest favorite hobby.