Taste of a long-gone world

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in another time, another place?  To wake up in the morning and find yourself in another century?  Gentle reader, I find myself constantly doing just that, and recently, I got to experience, in real life, a taste of a long-gone world.

Welcome to the St Ives Medieval Faire, Sydney, Australia.   A full weekend event of everything medieval.  Several local and international Living History groups brought us jousting tournaments, feasts, birds of prey, viking battles, honey mead and home brewed ale, woodturning and carving demonstrations, smithing, leather art making, bow and arrow manufacture, tapestry and weaving skills, just to name a few. There were apothecaries showing their wares, exhibits of weaponry and armour, trebuchet catapult demonstrations, medieval and renaissance choirs, Gregorian chants, Morris dancers, seamstresses and bakers at work, dance classes, and not least, pike, musket and archery shows.  A sumptuous feast for the senses.  The smells, the noises, the sights, all giving one’s imagination a wealth of information and inspiration to soak in and relish.

What impressions did I gain, what did I learn during this gorgeously sunny and warm spring  weekend in a distant outer suburb of Sydney?

Firstly it’s all in the attire.  To blend in with the crowd, Mr W and I rented some cheap and cheerful costumes in our hometown of Auckland before heading over.  Mr W wore a brown friar tuck tunic, complete with white rope belt, large wooden cross and sandals.  My choice was a floor length velvet gown in forest green with gold trim around waist and bust, and complemented by a plastic flower wreath and sandals for ease of walking in these hot dusty climes.

We certainly fit into the general crowd of rented costumes and pound store purchases.  And then there were the Living History groups wandering around, with clearly some investment of time and money in their regalia, and they stood out, with stunningly beautiful clothes and accessories.

And, being the research nerd I am, here’s a video link giving us a demonstration on how a medieval lady would have dressed:

Getting Dressed in the 14th Century

We were a little nervous getting on the city centre train that would take us out to St Ives, and thankfully it was early morning, so there weren’t crowds to contend with.  My dress was long, tight, and a little revealing, and I struggled to walk full lengths.  The juxtaposition was that we both had our cameras around our necks too, because we couldn’t wait to get photographic proof of our time at the medieval faire.

And what a fun weekend it was.

Things we were surprised at:

• How many people turned up on both days
• How many people made the effort to dress up, including young families
• The living history groups and their passions, interests, hobbies, transporting them into another world.  And I wanted to join the club.
• The authenticity of the displays, the re-enactors, their camps and equipment
• The re-enactor’s amazing intricate knowledge of their particular fields of expertise and eagerness to share

The jousting tournament was a huge deal.  Contestants had come all the way from Europe with their horses, and their magnificent outfits.  It helped to imagine how much of a marvel, an exciting event, it would have been for the general population back in the day. An exciting, not-to-be missed, break from the humdrum of life, to eat, drink and be merry, meet new people, perhaps get a good gander at nobility and even royalty.

Would I go back? In a heartbeat.  I can’t wait for the next event!

Have you ever been to a medieval faire, or a living history tournament?

Did you love the immersion, lose yourself in this ‘past world’ like I did?

Happy January reading and writing my friends.
p.s. you’ll find a few more photos of the Faire here – Instagram

Bedside reading: Skara, The First Wave by Andrew Appleby

What’s on Audible: Dead Lions by Mick Herron

What’s on Podcast: The Teacher’s Pet by Hedley Thomas, The Australian