Living History

We’ve all seen things that take us right out of the moment when witnessing Living History, this week we talk about some of our pet peeves, those items that, for us, are real show stoppers, including:
• Modern clothes, shoes and jewelry
• Modern piercings, tattoos and hair colors/styles
• Actions and words, politicizing, talking about your personal life,  smoking a cigarette
• Furniture and items like coolers, sleeping bags, toiletries, vehicles, porta-a-potties, ATMs, cameras, cellphones
• Food containers like beverage containers, plastic bags and wrappers, and vendor purchased items

Musical Interlude: Tribe of the Lost Road by Ensemble Davuli off their album The Wandering Drum

Download: Show Stoppers

This week Alena and Stephen tackle the stuff of Living History, and talk about how much the little things can really add both for your own enjoyment and for the publics’ edification. We talked about:
• Steps toward historical accuracy
• pocket stuff and personal items
• Comfort items and furniture
• Tools, weapons, leisure and religious items.

Musical Interlude: Hey Ho to the Greenwood sung by Ravenrook Consort

Download: Minutiae
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Episode Summary

This week we will tell you about a reenactment group that we’re involved in called the Guild of Saint Maurice. Reenacting an encampment of soldiers (and their wives) from the Holy Roman Empire in the year 1529. We’ll get into:
• The history of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Landsknecht.
• Women’s roles
• Why we picked this timeperiod
• How the group formed and its current organizaional structure
• Historical Research on the Landsknecht and the timeperiod
• All about our clothing and kit
• Where we present and what sorts of activities we represent
Musical Interlude: We Be Soldiers 3 by Ravenrook Consort

Download:16th C Mercenaries

Interview with Folo

Episode Summary

In the last of our Reenactorfest interviews Alena interviews Folo Watkins, leader of Micel Folkland, a Regia Anglorum group, recreating Viking-age Britain. They talked about:
• Folo’s path to living history
• His publishing career
• What it takes to recreate an “early age” impression
• Activities and impressions that his group engages in.

Musical Interlude: Yew Tree’s Lament by Night Heron Consort

Download:  Interview with Folo

Interview with Kass McGann

Episode Summary

This week Alena talked to Kass McGann, owner of Reconstructing History, a company developing historical clothing  patterns for both men and women from a myriad of historical time periods. They talked about:
• How Kass found fashion and history
• turning a hobby into a business
• attending living history events as a merchant
Musical Interlude: Spanish Pavan Performed by Hautbois

Download:Interview with Kass MaGann