Frequently Asked Questions

What's this "re-enactment" business about?

Re-enactment is the strange habit some people have of getting into period costume and re-creating (or re-enacting) historical events. More accurately, re-enactment describes the re-creation of specific historical events - almost invariably battles of one description or another - whilst what most groups do most of the time, i.e. depicting the day-to-day lives of people from times past, is "living history". Not that anyone bothers making that distinction much!

What on earth for?

That's a tough one. "Because we like it," is probably the best answer anyone can give you. You get to meet lots of really great people, you get out in the fresh air a fair bit, it's open to all sorts and conditions and men, women and children and a sufficiently unusual hobby to be a great conversation-starter at parties.

Compare the following two scenarios;

1.
"So, what do you do at weekends?"
"I'm a mediaeval longbow archer."
"Really? Wow! So, are you like, in the Sealed Knot or something?"

Well, it's a start. Let's look at the same conversation involving a less immediately riveting hobby...

2.
"So, what do you do at weekends?"
"Basketweaving."
"Really? How fascinating... Anyway, you must excuse me - I think I just saw someone interesting come in..."

See? No contest. [1]

You don't get paid then?

Nope. Most of the displays and demonstrations of various historical periods that you see around the country at assorted venues are performed by people who are earning not one jot or tittle from the exercise. However, re-enactment "kit" does get lost, broken or just plain worn-out, so in general a re-enactment society will receive a small sum from the event organisers to help cover the cost of replacing items belonging to the club.

Aside from a very small minority of people who make all or part of their living from re-enactment, individuals don't get paid as a rule. Some clubs will fork out a bit to help cover expenses - especially if the event is a long way from home - but in general the whole cost of kit, travel, food etc. is born by individual re-enactors. We do it for the love of doing it, and this is the main reason why attending a re-enactment event tends to be a cheap day out for all the family as well as a fun one - and we want it to stay that way!

Is re-enactment an expensive hobby?

It can be, certainly. Quite aside from the cost of travelling hundreds or thousands of miles during a re-enactment season, you will need to purchase the costume and equipment appropriate to a person from your chosen historical period. Many clubs Provide "starter kit" for new members, but the vast majority will require you to buy your own eventually.

The actual cost of costume and equipment varies wildly. A Dark Age re-enactor with a basic kit of tunic, spear and shield will probably have spent no more than two hundred pounds in total at the outside (and many manage on far less), whilst a fully-armoured mediaeval knight in plate armour may have spent well over a thousand pounds just on the kit he fights in, let alone assorted sundries. That said, new re-enactors do not ordinarily purchase their equipment all at once - it may take several years for a re-enactor to reach a "fully-authentic" level of equipment because of the expense involved, and many never do unless their clubs require it.

In summary, you are not likely to have to fork out a large sum of money at the outset of a re-enactment career - just don't look back five years later and count up how much you've spent in total unless you are of a strong constitution or have a bottomless wallet!

What historical periods do people recreate?

In short? All of 'em. Well, nearly all... In the UK, the vast majority of re-enactment groups concentrate on periods from the Roman conquest onwards, due to how little is known about the peoples who occupied our little island beforehand. There are re-enactment societies that deal with what is essentially pre-historic Britain, but they are few and far between. However, I'm certain that elsewhere in the world, there are Egyptian, Chinese or other ancient civilisation re-enactment groups who re-create periods thousands of years earlier than anything done in the UK!

Other than that limitation, if you can think of a time or place in the UK over the last two thousand years or so, you can be sure there's a re-enactment group that covers it!

Er... I quite fancy myself as a Viking warrior / Mediaeval knight / Victorian policeman / World War II general - can I? Can I?!

Oh, probably. The thing to do is to decide which period you're interested in - either by attending events, surfing the Web or just good old-fashioned reading - and find a group that suits you. Bear in mind that not only do you need to pick a period, but that some groups may be combat-orientated and insist that members fight, whilst other groups aren't interested in fighting at all but will cheerfully spend weeks arguing over the authenticity of a particular frilly collar or type of footwear.

It must be said, the latter type of society tends to be the most bloodthirsty ;-)

Because of this wide spectrum of club bias either towards combat or living history - or some combination of the two - you need to decide what you want out of re-enactment, then find a club whose orientation suits you. There are plenty of clubs across the whole of the UK, so you should find what you're looking for eventually - good luck!

Although we can't point you in the right direction at the moment, your humble webmaster is currently working on a big compilation of societies and their details to be placed online for your convenience. This is likely to take some time!

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[1] After strong representations from the National Basketweavers' Association, during which some of "the lads" made their point with a collection of pre-hardened raffiawork "persuaders", Milwr Morganwg would like to make it perfectly clear that basketweaving is a fine and noble art, and in no wise practised solely by people who ought to be (or already are) safely institutionalised. [Back]