Women in your groups?

[Arthes]

Greetings,
at Kelmarsh during the parade, I noticed that many of the 'males' were in fact female....!
I think we fielded nearly as many females as male that day.
I don't mind wearing a peplos - and looking feminine..at least I can loosen my hair from under my tunic :roll: but as Viventia knows, I am not overkeen on doing some of the usual women's chores, except for the braiding. I would rather watch a display of artillery than cooking or naelbinding... unless it is raining too heavily and I am in a dress :roll:
The advantage a man has, is he can choose to be combatant or non combatant, military or civilian. Women have a harder time of it.
Have you tried using a portaloo in a long, wet and muddy peplos, which, in the female case, needs to be gathered up ........ :evil:
regards
Arthes

[FAVENTIANVS]

Arthes, what's a portaloo?

[Arthes]

Arthes, what's a portaloo?

:lol: Its one of those awful portable toilets/lavabo you get on sites....
regards
Arthes

[FAVENTIANVS]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! hock:

[Arthes]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! hock:

Exactly...... :wink:

[Viventius]

This discussion is akin to the Tunic Colour one - it keeps coming up, and no one can agree. Then it starts to get nasty. Any chance of agreeing to disagree? Live and let live, and all that polite stuff?

[Alexius]

Ok, I think Viventius are right: unfortunately this discussion its turning in a “internet fighting arenaâ€ÂÂ

[Salvianus]

[quote] nobody can tell (100% prove) “this was like that!â€ÂÂ

[Aluscladiusmaximus]

when I was in LEG II AVG I thought the women's section was second to none and was one of our main attractions. When we dis the military display they would generally nip off for a quick cup of tea and a smoke. There is evidence for women gladiators so it wouldn't be wrong to have them today. I am not against women in reenactment they have a important role to play I would just limit them to the correct historical role. We live in the 21st century but part of us longs for the simpler times.( although we still want modern medicine and transport.

I will not publicly name the group I was talking about because this is not the place for it and it wouldn't be nice to do so

Aulus cladius maximus

[Mithras]

One English group puts a 3 year old on the display field and then goes on to display cavalry using hobby horses. I think members of this group should answer these inaccuracies before they criticize the makeup of other groups.
I wouldn't mind the hobby horses if they had actually managed to hit the apples(on sticks) with their swords.

Now.

Let me explain.

I think you are refering to the Corbridge Roman Festival of 2005 up near Hadrian's Wall, where Late Roman group Comitatus and 1st century group Ermine Street Guard both displayed to the public. And I think (OK I know, I was there) you are talking about our very last show on Sunday afternoon. It was COmitatus' very last show of the year, and we really wanted just to relax and have some fun. Some of Comitatus' events are absolute route marches. At Arbeia we are displaying virtually non-stop on two different arenas for an entire afternoon without breaks, working between cavalry attacks on a shield wall to asaulting a full size replica of a gateway with ditches. Its backbreaking stuff!

So that afternoon at Corbridge was a chiller for us, and we decided to go for laughs with the late crowd and pull out the hobby horses to do a cavalry routine. Never done it before - never done it since

Every event is different for us, sometime pure living history, sometimes big epic stage shows (Kelmarsh and Magnus Maximus), sometimes real cavalry displays, sometimes missile heavy displays.

I am aware that the ESG run a tight ship with almost no variation. Luckily we really do enjoy a wide variety of venues and events. Most stimulating. But I think we are trying to forget the hobby horses... :oops:

On the subject of authenticity ... I have heard of a group in the UK that busses its members off site in the evening and takes them to a hotel. I think its the same group that has a relaxation tent, where members can chill out between displays in modern clothing and have a Coke or cup of tea. I did hear of one member of the public accidentally walking into the tent and getting quite a shock.

It was definately a 1st century group, not sure which one.

My money is certainly on an event or group that stays in-period for the entire weekend (even when the public have gone). My breakfast is bacon and hardtack on an open fire, my lunch is cheese and bread and apple, my evening meal is lentils a la Apicius (if I'm lucky) cooked on an open fire. Followed by jars of cervasa or vinum by starlight. Yum.

Different groups - different emphasis. There's room for everyone.

[FAVENTIANVS]

What are the hobby horses?

[Mithras]

What are the hobby horses?

Oh, you know, children's toys - horses heads with little handles on them, ontop of a long stick. You pretend to ride them. Well, children pretend to ride them ...

[FAVENTIANVS]

Ah, ok. thanx Mithras!

[Alexius]

Dear Salvianus,

Thanks for your consideration about my humble words and the invitation.

I’m not a woman and I don’t live in UK but when I have opportunity I will be glad to meet your activities and make an exchange about re-enactment experiences and work methods.

This topic about women’s participation its very peculiar, because its, in my opinion one of the few percentage topics who speak about the re-enactment politics and his impact in the real world… - what’s this mean?

Well, if we read the 99% of the presents topics in this Forum they are focus in the peculiar aspects of the re-enactment: “the true tunic colours, the pilun size, the X century kind of caligae, etcâ€ÂÂ

[Salvianus]

Thanks Alexius,

I'm sure if you can make it over here to an event you will be greeted warmly by the whole group.

As you say, our approach to re-enactment is shown by our displays and society is becoming more inclusive generally.

I'm sure our approach can be flexible - in the theatre, we sometimes have very accurate reproduction rooms sometimes empty spaces and in my last show we had cartoon drawn scenery! The audience likes variety, I believe.

I'm off to see if I can find a hobby horse on Ebay.

Salve!