05-30-2008, 03:58 PM
Hello John,
Thank you for your very detailed reply; it was just the sort of response I was hoping for in this thread.
I have to say that I saw your group ‘Comitatus’ on the second day of your recent Rockingham event, the day earlier I also saw ‘Britannia’ over at Flag Fen, two entirely different groups with two entirely different ways of portraying their particular period, and in my opinion both extremely good at what they do!
There are a few points of your posting that I would like to pick up on, purely my take on things and certainly not a criticism you understand.
You state that you disagree with the view that the public like to see people ‘hitting’ each other. You go on to say that audiences vary. Yes! I agree that is true, but I have to say that the vast majority of the public who attend these Bank Holiday events do expect exactly that! These people are coming to see a festival of warriors and weapons, so it comes as no surprise that they might reasonably expect (but don’t always get of course) some sort of combat. Since time began, peoples idea of entertainment (and that’s what these people look for at these open events) has always been verging on the side of violence! They love to see other people ‘risking it’ when they don’t have to, the Colosseum being a point in case. This of course (in a re enactment sense) can be done well or poorly, especially as when you say ‘Grown men’ pretend to fall over dead, but if that’s the case, then you, I, and nearly everyone here on this forum will have been guilty of that misdemeanour at some time I think!
You also disagree with the idea that people ‘hitting’ each other is a good advert for re enactment. I entirely take your point here John, but I would say that once again it all boils down to if the ‘hitting’ is done well or poorly. There is a world of difference between those who appear as ‘dangerous nutters’ and ‘cavorting ninnies’ and those who seek to portray a real ‘dirt under the fingernails’ scenario of a battle situation. Do the general public care about this? In the main No! But we do, and therein lies the difference.
On the second Rockingham day when I saw you, there were no audience ‘feedback’ forms distributed I have to say, but if there had, I am sure they would all have been most complimentary.
I entirely agree with your views on the large battles of 1000 or more taking part. I too have fought at Hastings on a number of occasions and guess what; I also was at Lansdown in 1993! But having said this, I still think there is room (in Britain at least) for the smaller event depicting two moderate sized war bands confronting each other. The big battles are what the history books gush over, but the thousands of small unknown skirmishes that took place between Romano Briton and Teuton/Scot/Pict also have a place within re enactment I would argue.
I agree with your conclusion that ‘training exercises’ are the way forward, but I would qualify that further by saying that this mostly applies to a group that does not engage in freestyle combat. For those that do, I would argue that it’s more than a simple case of carrying around a ‘blunt iron bar’ if it is to look and feel ‘right’! With this in mind, I am happy to report that the Britannia show was extremely good, as indeed yours was in a non combative sense. The delicate balance between education and entertainment will always be a thorny issue I fear, and I am aware that ‘combat’ groups attempt o remedy this with living history encampments at their events.
Either way, I am happy that there appears to be ‘something for everyone’ and enough diversity to entertain and educate alike.
Thank you again for your reply, I appreciate it.
Ken.
Thank you for your very detailed reply; it was just the sort of response I was hoping for in this thread.
I have to say that I saw your group ‘Comitatus’ on the second day of your recent Rockingham event, the day earlier I also saw ‘Britannia’ over at Flag Fen, two entirely different groups with two entirely different ways of portraying their particular period, and in my opinion both extremely good at what they do!
There are a few points of your posting that I would like to pick up on, purely my take on things and certainly not a criticism you understand.
You state that you disagree with the view that the public like to see people ‘hitting’ each other. You go on to say that audiences vary. Yes! I agree that is true, but I have to say that the vast majority of the public who attend these Bank Holiday events do expect exactly that! These people are coming to see a festival of warriors and weapons, so it comes as no surprise that they might reasonably expect (but don’t always get of course) some sort of combat. Since time began, peoples idea of entertainment (and that’s what these people look for at these open events) has always been verging on the side of violence! They love to see other people ‘risking it’ when they don’t have to, the Colosseum being a point in case. This of course (in a re enactment sense) can be done well or poorly, especially as when you say ‘Grown men’ pretend to fall over dead, but if that’s the case, then you, I, and nearly everyone here on this forum will have been guilty of that misdemeanour at some time I think!
You also disagree with the idea that people ‘hitting’ each other is a good advert for re enactment. I entirely take your point here John, but I would say that once again it all boils down to if the ‘hitting’ is done well or poorly. There is a world of difference between those who appear as ‘dangerous nutters’ and ‘cavorting ninnies’ and those who seek to portray a real ‘dirt under the fingernails’ scenario of a battle situation. Do the general public care about this? In the main No! But we do, and therein lies the difference.
On the second Rockingham day when I saw you, there were no audience ‘feedback’ forms distributed I have to say, but if there had, I am sure they would all have been most complimentary.
I entirely agree with your views on the large battles of 1000 or more taking part. I too have fought at Hastings on a number of occasions and guess what; I also was at Lansdown in 1993! But having said this, I still think there is room (in Britain at least) for the smaller event depicting two moderate sized war bands confronting each other. The big battles are what the history books gush over, but the thousands of small unknown skirmishes that took place between Romano Briton and Teuton/Scot/Pict also have a place within re enactment I would argue.
I agree with your conclusion that ‘training exercises’ are the way forward, but I would qualify that further by saying that this mostly applies to a group that does not engage in freestyle combat. For those that do, I would argue that it’s more than a simple case of carrying around a ‘blunt iron bar’ if it is to look and feel ‘right’! With this in mind, I am happy to report that the Britannia show was extremely good, as indeed yours was in a non combative sense. The delicate balance between education and entertainment will always be a thorny issue I fear, and I am aware that ‘combat’ groups attempt o remedy this with living history encampments at their events.
Either way, I am happy that there appears to be ‘something for everyone’ and enough diversity to entertain and educate alike.
Thank you again for your reply, I appreciate it.
Ken.
Ken.
