If you really can’t get enough of all things medieval and renaissance there are more things you can do than just read about it! There are some wonderful ways to add a little bit of the Middle Ages to your regular life.
Renaissance Faires
This is a great way to experience a little bit of the Renaissance life in an easy way. You will like this if you are just looking for some entertainment in the traditional way, although Renaissance Faires can be very interactive.
Picture yourself taking a trip back in time to the middle ages and experiencing a faire. That is exactly what many Faires try to do. They will have arts and crafts, armor and weapons and many medieval type items for sale. These Faires often have jousting tournaments and real blacksmiths. Often times they will have a rental shop where you can rent some renaissance clothing for your stay at the faire.
I take a trip to my local Faire at least once a year and thoroughly enjoy it! These faires are often very seasonal so you have to check on the dates and times. The Faire I go to is only available in the Fall months. (King Richard’s Faire in Massachusetts)
Here is a link to more Faire Information: Renaissance Faires
Larping
Larping is based on the acronym LARP which stands for Live Action Role Playing. It is a wonderful type of hobby that takes the concept of gaming to a new level of reality. It is loosely based on the early dungeons and dragons games where players would sit around a table and talk their way through a dungeon. In Larping the players dress the part and actually do the adventure type things.
Larping is something that people often will do on a weekend and there are even larping events that last for a full weekend. People dress in authentic medieval clothing and don armor and foam weapons and will often duel. There can be very elaborate story lines that come with larping events and some events have very detailed guidelines for combat, language, dress and more. The goal is to bring you as close to the reality of the period as possible.
To learn more about Larping and to find links to your local larp club here is a great article on Wikipedia
The SCA
The Society for Creative Anachronism - The name is something and the organization is something. Here is a direct quote from the headquarters page for the SCA :
“The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Our “Known World” consists of 19 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which may feature tournaments, arts exhibits, classes, workshops, dancing, feasts, and more. Our “royalty” hold courts at which they recognize and honor members for their contributions to the group.” - SCA.org
Check out their website: SCA.org
Pull out all the Stops and Buy a Castle! Here is an article about a real Scottish castle for sale. It’s going for the paltry sum of around 30 million dollars. Buy a castle
Really interested in Medieval Swords and Swordfighting? Take a look the Sword Fighters Guild - They are very closely affiliated with many Larping organizations.
Just want to try on a bit of Medieval History? One of the fun ways to experience the Medieval life is to try some weapons, armor or clothing. This is a very popular pursuit among members or visitors to the groups I have talked about.
mwart.com (Medieval Weapon Art.com) is a site that has lots of medieval weapons and armor. But they also have a great selection of medieval/renaissance jewelry and clothing. Fantasy and Medieval Themed Products
If you use amazon.com you probably know that they have an extensive collection of weapons at great prices but you might not know that they also carry a huge selection of Renaissance and Medieval clothing too.
I have, on my Medieval site a section devoted to Medieval and Renaissance clothing and accessories for men, women, and children : Medieval Clothing
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