Historical reenactment
Historical reenactment is an activity in which participants recreate some aspects of a historical event or period. It may be a narrowly-defined time period, such as a specific war or other event, or it may be more broadly defined.
Activities related to "reenactment" are not new. Tournaments in the
Middle Ages had Roman or other earlier themes , and the
Victorians recreated medieval furnishings such as tapestries. However, historical reenactment in pursuit of practical historical interest, beyond merely re-inventing history as an entertainment to suit contemporary convenience or sensibilities, seems to be an invention of the 20th century.
Encyclopedia
Historical reenactment is an activity in which participants recreate some aspects of a historical event or period. It may be a narrowly-defined time period, such as a specific war or other event, or it may be more broadly defined.
Activities related to "reenactment" are not new. Tournaments in the
Middle Ages had Roman or other earlier themes , and the
Victorians recreated medieval furnishings such as tapestries. However, historical reenactment in pursuit of practical historical interest, beyond merely re-inventing history as an entertainment to suit contemporary convenience or sensibilities, seems to be an invention of the 20th century.
The term living history describes attempts to bring history to life, either for an audience or for the participants themselves. The primary distinction between reenactment and a period dramatic performance is the degree of immersion and the amount of improvisation. Historical reenactment can be considered a form of
live-action role-playing.
Reenactment groups
Most groups dedicated to reenactment are amateurs who pursue reenactment as a
hobby. Increasingly, there are a number of enthusiasts who have made it their goal to be as authentic as possible.
Period
The
period of an event is the range of dates . See authenticity for a discussion of how the period affects the types of costume, weapons, and armour used.
Popular periods to reenact include:
Props and costume
Small cottage industries abound that provide not only the materials but even the finished product for use by these ultra authentic re-enactors. Uniforms made of hand woven, natural dyed materials are hand-sewn using the sartorial techniques of the period portrayed. The same can be said of headgear, footwear, camp gear, accoutrements, weapons and so on. These items, while costing sometimes 30%+ more than their mass produced counterparts, offer the wearer an actual life like experience in the use of these materials. Also, it is hoped that spectators will have a better experience when attending an event in which a high level of accuracy is attained.
Roleplay and acting
Some individual reenactors concentrate on recreating a specific persona, such as
Abraham Lincoln,
Thomas Edison, or
Benjamin Franklin. More generally, a roleplayer in reenactment is someone who develops their historical persona as a character, many of which are normal people rather than royalty or military leaders.
Experimental archaeology
Experimental archaeology is an important part of many authentic living history events, where crafts and techniques are evaluated to see whether they make sense in the appropriate historical setting. For example, various combinations of armour can be tried to see if an item for which no historical evidence exists is actually easy to make with the tools available and practical to use in the battles of the time.
Events
Permanent events
There are a number of locations which have set up a permanent authentic displays:
Creative history, and fantasy events
Although some historical reenactment groups follow a very loose interpretation of history some groups go a step further and mix historical elements with elements of the Fantasy genre or incorporate modern technology or culture into a historical setting .
A common example for this variation on the theme is the
Society for Creative Anachronism and
Renaissance Faires, which blend medievalish customs, dress, and activities within historically inspired fantasy kingdoms.
However many
Renaissance Faires have begun to reign in the fantasy elements and being about a more historical feel.
Commercial reenactment
Many castles, museums, and other historical tourist attractions employ actors or professional reenactors as part of the experience. These usually address the recreation of a specific town, village, or activity within a certain time frame. Commercial reenactment shows are usually choreographed and follow a script.
Publications
Over the years, there have been a number of publications devoted to covering the subjects of historical reenactment and its close cousin, living history. These have included the
Camp Chase Gazette and, at various times, two different magazines named
Living History .
Another popular book is
The Medieval Soldier by Gerry Embleton and John Howe, 1995. It has been translated to French and German. It was later followed by
Medieval Military Costume in Colour Photographs.
Media Support
Motion picture and television producers often turn to re-enactment groups for support; films like Gettysburg and Glory benefited greatly from the input of reenactors, who arrived on set fully equipped and steeped in knowledge of military procedures, camp life, and tactics.
Criticism
Reenactors are sometimes looked on with suspicion, partricularly by military veterans, but also by elements of the general public. Common criticisms revolve around motivation, as well as concerns about the level of immersion found in some arenas, notably those involving 20th Century conflicts where combatants had stricter regulations regarding personal grooming. Another commonly voiced criticism is that many reenactors are more corpulent than actual soldiers in the period they are portraying. The average age of reenactors is also generally far higher than the average age of soldiers in most conflicts. Few reenactment units discriminate, however, based on age and physical condition. A final concern mentioned by Thompson's book is the "fantasy farb", or tendency of reenactors to gravitate towards "elite" units such as commandos, paratroopers, or
Waffen-SS units resulting in an under-representation of undistinguished units in the re-enactment community.
See also
- List of historical reenactment groups
External links
;General
- are a large site for links to the global reenactment community including both societies and suppliers.
- is a site for Irish Re-enactors with a large forum. Has discussion of all periods.
- is a list of reenactment links
;Ancient
;Roman
- an Italian site for Roman reenactors.
- , a British site for Roman reenactors.
-
;Medieval
;18th Century
-
- American Revolutionary War - British Army
- American Revolutionary War - American Army
- - French & Indian War
;19th Century
- Napoleonic Reenactment and Living History, UK
- - an association containing just about every Napoleonic re-enactment society in the Netherlands
;20th Century
- is a website for Second World War re-enactors based in the UK. Has a large discussion forum for re-enactors from all over the world.
- — Resource for female WWII re-enactors
- — Community and resource site for Axis Reenactors
- Finnish Army wartime photos and information for reenactors of the Winter War between Finland and Russia in 1939
- Production of Reproduction. All kinds of retro, mainly from WWII period.
- - A dutch living history group portraying daily life in the Netherlands during WW2
- Tommy Atkins Society - Preserving the memories of British Line Infantry Regiments during WW2
References
