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Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Caballo - 10-16-2006
Article from the BBC- real respect for the re-enactors and a BIG crowd. Re-enactment groups working together to create a great experience for re-enactor and public alike. AND raising money for charity as well!
Wouldn't be great if Kalkriese 2009 (or other events) could be even a fraction of this?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sout ... 055106.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sout ... 050986.stm
" the best moment of the battle for him was "that awesome shout of 'Normandy' as 100 cavalrymen set spurs to their horses and barrel up the hill"."
Thousands attend Hastings battle
Re-enactment performers
Planning for the 2007 re-enactment will begin next week
A crowd of more than 10,000 watched 3,000 people re-enact the battle of Hastings in East Sussex on Sunday.
Latecomers had to be turned away for the performance on Saturday, when 11,000 people attended the event.
Performers lived on the site in 11th Century-style encampments during the weekend of the battle.
Re-enactments on the actual battlefield take place every year, but English Heritage said the weekend saw the largest restaging attempted so far.
"Never before has English Heritage recreated the battle on this scale," its website said.
Forward planning
A spokesman for Hastings Borough Council said the popularity of the event resulted in people being turned away from local accommodation.
He said: "We were told people were being accommodated as far as Sevenoaks because it was so busy."
He added that about 30,000 people attended the fireworks display in Hastings following Saturday's re-enactment.
"We're having a meeting next week to start planning 2007's event."
King Harold and William square up
By Stuart Richards
BBC News
William and Harold's men re-enacted the Battle of Hastings
In pictures
The Battle of Hastings is recreated annually on the site in Sussex where it actually took place in 1066, but its 940th anniversary promised the biggest ever re-enactment.
As many as 3,000 re-enactors from across the world have camped out at Battle Abbey for performances on Saturday and Sunday.
The main characters of William and Harold were supported on the battlefield by hundreds of mounted troops and foot soldiers.
Roger Barry, who faced inevitable defeat as King Harold II, said he had studied the Battle of Hastings for a long time.
I will clasp my eye with the arrow over it and fall gracefully
Roger Barry, who plays Harold
On acting out his character's death, the 49-year-old soldier from Salisbury in Wiltshire said: "I have down my person somewhere an arrow or part of an arrow.
"On cue, I will clasp my eye with the arrow over it and fall gracefully to the ground.
"It's a bit of bummer really, but sadly that's the way it is. It's fun, win or lose."
His opponent, Duke William of Normandy, is played by Alan Larsen, a 46-year-old event organiser with English Heritage, and also from Salisbury.
He said the best moment of the battle for him was "that awesome shout of 'Normandy' as 100 cavalrymen set spurs to their horses and barrel up the hill".
Performers preparing for the re-enactment
Three thousand performers and a 20,000-strong audience were there
"I can only admire the dedication and enthusiasm of all the re-enactors who have travelled from all over the world to be here," he added.
Tens of thousands of visitors had plenty more than the battle restaging to occupy themselves with.
The performers in their period encampments showed off their weapons skills and demonstrated other aspects of 11th Century lifestyle.
Market stalls, period music, and archery and falconry displays were also part of the entertainment.
Walking through the encampments and trading areas towards the large sloping battlefield with the abbey looking over it, the smell of food being cooked and the sound of battle cries filled the air.
Visitors and participants, young and old, joined in the spirit with period costumes and weaponry ranging from plastic shields to bows and arrows.
Opponent crowned
The re-enactment played out the events of 14 October 1066, the defining day in the struggle for power which followed the death of Edward the Confessor.
He chose Earl Harold Godwinson of Wessex to succeed him on the English throne, but competition soon landed on the northern shores in the form of Harald Hardrada of Norway.
The new King Harold of England marched north to defeat the Norwegian invaders at Stamford Bridge, near York - he was on his way back south when news came that William had landed near Hastings.
The Norman and Saxon armies commenced battle at Senlac Hill - now the site of Battle Abbey - at 0900 BST on 14 October.
King Harold was killed by an arrow through the eye, and his opponent was crowned King William I two months later.
Members of a group called The Vikings, who call themselves Britain's largest Dark Age re-enactment society, preceded the battle by restaging Harold's dash back to Sussex.
They left York on 21 September in full period costume, passing through Nottingham, Leicester, Luton, London and Kent, before arriving in Battle on Friday.
The Vikings posing as Saxons were raising money for the British Heart Foundation.
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - A_Volpe - 10-16-2006
*BOGGLE*
hock: That is Awesome!
congrats to any who participated/attended!
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Nathan Beal - 10-17-2006
Was in the Norman center and it was rather pleasent.
Best bit for me was to be behind a couple of hundred archers loosing volleys up the hill to the saxon lines, from behind it was an awesome sight (probably not as good from any angle).
N.
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Caballo - 10-17-2006
Well, that deserves a laudes in itself- I'd really value other insights.
I also found this quote "We have no accurate figures of the number of soldiers who took part in the Battle of Hastings. Historians have estimated that William had 5,000 infantry and 3,000 knights while Harold had about 2, 500 housecarls and over 6,000 members of the fyrd."
So, the real battle had maybe 16,500 combatants. The re-enactment had 3,000- that must be one of the closest to a real re-enactment of any battle that has occurred...
Anyone else out there participate and care to share experiences?
Cheers
Caballo
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Robert Vermaat - 10-18-2006
More images here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/c ... lery.shtml
Video at ITV:
http://www2.meridiantv.com/itvlocal/ind ... void=28824
Pictures by by Terry McDonald:
http://web.mac.com/luxborealis/iWeb/Hom ... e2006.html
Pictures by Kev Sutton:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/snake3yes/ ... 332985508/
Photos by Ian Muirhead:
Archers :
http://flickr.com/photos/viking/sets/72157594331632218/
Cavalry:
http://flickr.com/photos/viking/sets/72157594333180406/
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Marcus Mummius - 10-22-2006
Quote:Wouldn't be great if Kalkriese 2009 (or other events) could be even a fraction of this?
I really hope this event happens! It would be so great to have hundreds of romans in one place...
Vale,
Jef
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Arthes - 10-22-2006
ThatsJohn C of Comitatus in the blue - unless he has a double....
and that looks like Jamie aka Celt next to him.....The whole atmosphere must have been amazing....still looking for film of the cavalry charge... that I would have loved to watch..
What a difference to the 1986 event, which was my entrance to the world of re enactment.... :roll:
Like many others here ..... I had ancestors who fought on that battle field....a strange thought really.
I wonder if the ghosts were watching and comparing notes .... :wink:
regards
Arthes
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - James B. - 10-24-2006
Quote:So, the real battle had maybe 16,500 combatants. The re-enactment had 3,000- that must be one of the closest to a real re-enactment of any battle that has occurred...
Caballo
I would say that is true for medieval reenactment but American Civil War is so large that some reenactments are close to being bigger than the real battle. I understand a large Gettysburg has 20000 reenactors
hock: Hastings was awesome, I was on the left flank with the Bretons, like Nathan said seeing all those archers loose all at once was awesome:
![[Image: PICT0829.jpg]](http://home.armourarchive.org/members/flonzy/images/Hastings/BoHUK06/Full/PICT0829.jpg)
That is just one of 3 groups of archers pictured.
James
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Robert Vermaat - 11-02-2006
Quote:More images here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/c ... lery.shtml
Video at ITV:
http://www2.meridiantv.com/itvlocal/ind ... void=28824
Pictures by by Terry McDonald:
http://web.mac.com/luxborealis/iWeb/Hom ... e2006.html
Pictures by Kev Sutton:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/snake3yes/ ... 332985508/
Photos by Ian Muirhead:
Archers :
http://flickr.com/photos/viking/sets/72157594331632218/
Cavalry:
http://flickr.com/photos/viking/sets/72157594333180406/
[size=150:12jpg014]More websites, loaded with beautiful images from the battle![/size]
http://www.glomesdal.com/gallery2/v/200 ... /saturday/ (28 pages of thumbnails) and http://www.glomesdal.com/gallery2/v/200 ... gs/sunday/ (23 pages of thumbnails)
http://www.webieval.com/menusfr/photosfr.htm (hundreds of pictures).
[size=150:12jpg014]What do you think - can we do something like that with Romans?[/size]
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Tarbicus - 11-02-2006
Yup, they're doing it alright:
![[Image: hst64140.jpg]](http://www.pixures.be/hast/ings3/images/hst64140.jpg)
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Robert Vermaat - 11-02-2006
Yeah, the berserker! I loved that picture! Almost truly historical were it not for too many young boys and ladies in the ranks. :twisted:
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Robert Vermaat - 04-26-2007
You can see some impressive footage here:
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/serv ... /nav.10603
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Chariovalda - 04-26-2007
Quote:[size=150:64pcrx55]What do you think - can we do something like that with Romans?[/size]
I strongly doubt it, at least on this scale.
First of all, Hastings, at least that's my impression, can ride "piggy-back" on the ever-popular Viking re-enactment scene. This enormously increases the number of potential participants. I even have the impression a lot of re-enactors from dark ages to late antiquity, with perhaps a few items borrowed or bought for the occasion, participate.
That is impossible with the Roman period. There aren't as many Roman (Principate and/or Dominate) re-enactors as there are 10t/11th century and Viking re-enactors. Never will be, if only because of the fact that the equipment's generally more expensive. Hopefully, as Deepeeka improves and somewhat more expensive but better yet still affordable equipment made in east-central Europe and Russia becomes more widely available, the number of Roman re-enactors will increase. But that process will take years.
But then there's funding and PR. Hastings is a pivotal event in English history, world-famous and has been re-enacted for decades. What Roman-era battle could attract such attention and funding in this modern day and age? Kalkriese/Clades Variana perhaps, but if so, it has to be pushed hard in order to get all, or almost all, Roman re-enactors in Europe and as many from the USA and elsewhere as possible.
Hmmm...let's look at possible candidates to act as the "core" of such an event:
Alesia
Hmmm...problem is that it predates the seggie. On the other hand, it did seal the fate of Gaul, determining that modern France would become, in time, a Romance-speaking nation.
Cannae
Almost every Roman re-enactors' gear is centuries too late. Also, it's an ultimately indecisive battle. On the other hand, it is definitely one of the more famous battles of history. Not many Carthaginian re-enactors though...
Clades Variana
Probably comes closest; the seggie is in use, and it is often considered a
pivotal defeat (though this can be debated, same applies to the location)
Catalaunian Fields:
Attila! The Huns stopped, The West Saved blablabla and more hoary, but useful clichés. Certainly THE way to promote the late Roman period.
Main problem (apart from the fact there aren't too many late Roman re-enactors): Not enough Huns. More people have to take up Hunnish re-enactment :wink:
There are other battles of course, but personally, I think Clades Variana and Catalaunian Fields / Chalons are the best-suited to be promoted as "Hastings"-like Roman re-enactment events.
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Caballo - 04-26-2007
Yes- Clades Variana 2009 strikes me as the best option (setting aside was it the real place) . After all, how many chances will most of us have to be at the two thousanth anniversary of a key battle?
Cheers
Caballo
Re: Re-enactment in the Press- this time good! Hastings 2006 - Robert Vermaat - 04-26-2007
Quote:First of all, Hastings, at least that's my impression, can ride "piggy-back" on the ever-popular Viking re-enactment scene. This enormously increases the number of potential participants. I even have the impression a lot of re-enactors from dark ages to late antiquity, with perhaps a few items borrowed or bought for the occasion, participate.
Hastings 2006 had several things we just can't match.
1) although there were 2000 re-enactors on the field, they came from all over the world, even from Canada and Australia. I doubt we can ever find the organisation/sponsor who can provide that kind of money.
If we could find the money, I think we could find the numbers too.
2) Hastings is not a new event, and therefore the organisation is years ahead of us. maybe if we had a 'moderate' Roman event two or three times over the coming decade, we could pull something like that off. It's not just organising the evnt which I'm talking about, but also the visitors and 'putting the event on the map', which allowed English Heritage to spend so much money on Hastings 2006.
3) Hastings 2006 is indeed riding piggyback on the internationally very popular Viking scene, but also on the Anglo-Saxon scene which is equally large in the UK. Both scenes differ from the Roman scene in that respect that they fight with live steel. We do not, or in a tiny majority. That will not change enough for us to emulate what they could show at Hastings.
Also, we need to learn how to fight in formations. Even Hollywood does not seem to be able to do that - their army march in formations and then turn into a melee. If we ever want to show a real battle, we need to train in multi-group events on pure formation fighting.
Quote:There are other battles of course, but personally, I think Clades Variana and Catalaunian Fields / Chalons are the best-suited to be promoted as "Hastings"-like Roman re-enactment events.
Campus Mauriacus has another problem: we need far too many horses to pull that one off.
Strasbourg 357 would be a better candidate, although Adrianople 378 would be my favorite.
Quote:Yes- Clades Variana 2009 strikes me as the best option (setting aside was it the real place) . After all, how many chances will most of us have to be at the two thousanth anniversary of a key battle?
We discuss Clades variana here:
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... &start=140
Personally i think we cannot look for that event to become anything like the Hastings 2006 event. Due to the reasons mentioned above, due to (so far) unwillingness among the organisers and several local groups, and due to the fact that even Hastings 2006 was organised over years before the event, and we are far too late for that, have been for two years basically.