Dressing Up in Costumes: A Piece on Historical Re-Enactors












            ******************************************************************************************

            * Dressing Up in Costumes: A Piece on Historical Re-Enactors
            ******************************************************************************************
            Visit a popular historical site this summer and it’s likely you’ll encounter someone in hi

            dress from centuries past, re-living an older period, whether it’ll be Roman times or Worl
            undertaking activities such as giving guided tours, and making 18th century cakes amongst 
            Such people are historical re-enactors, and being one myself I can say that we may be a gr

            might bemuse many, but who are just like you… in period dress that is… possibly carrying a
            Lenka Nemravová from the Faculty of Arts [ URL "http://www.ff.cuni.cz/home/"] of Charles U
            re-enacting back in 2010. “I wanted to try something different than ordinary guided tours.

            originally re-enacted the 19th century, but now re-enacts a character from medieval times 
            keyholder” at Český Šternberk Castle in Central Bohemia, doing guided tours, where visitor

            different periods in the castle’s history. Lenka does what many re-enactors do, add more c
            of a historical place (which can sometimes be rather dull affairs) through trying to bring
            the castle back to life in person. She’s also interested in the 14th century family of the

            were the kings of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperors between 1308/1310 and 1437, and hopes to
            period too.
            Another re-enactor is Matouš Vanča, a History and Philosophy student in the Faculty of Art

            Chateau Opočno and Castle Rychnov in Eastern Bohemia, he originally started as just one of
            “normal” guides; he then upgraded to a re-enactment guide after he was asked to act at an 
            in Opočno called “Castle Night”. In Opočno he plays a real-life character, Emil Holub, the

            ethnographer, cartographer and explorer (a role which unfortunately features a “horrible m
            picture); whilst in Castle Rychnov he wrote a complete theatrical tour with a number of ch
            including the medieval White Lady (the most popular Czech ghost associated with castles), 

            Mydlář from the 17th century, the famous and brilliant Baroque architect Santini, and the 
            Vocásek from the 18th century, characters all in one way associated with the history of th
            that he completes the ultimate feat of re-enactment – he re-enacts not just one period, bu

            As mentioned, I myself am a re-enactor, though I don’t do guided tours as such. I’m a memb
            called Historia Normannis, which re-enacts the Norman period of British history (roughly 1
            The group appears across the country, setting up a camp (usually in a castle) and treating

            Norman cooking, fashion shows, and of course, fighting. Lots of fighting; with group membe
            to the public, in graphic detail, the weaponry and the horrible injuries they could inflic
            elements are not in what Lenka and Matouš do (though according to Matouš, his work in Rych

            an art historian giving a tour-played by himself – being driven insane by interruptions fr
            characters); but then again re-enactment is a diverse profession, covering lots of differe
            (and time periods). To Lenka, re-enactment is enjoyable as “it is good to give people insi

            of the castle in a different way. Of course, it is entertainment for us who re-enact. You 
            your colleagues in another situation. And it is very nice when children think, that you ar
            To Matouš, the fact that he was a drama student before doing history, means that re-enactm

            “unique chance to use both my disciplines (schools) in one action... this is for me occasi
            the wondrous world of drama.”
            Despite the differences in what re-enactors do, and the fact that we are sometimes seen as

            strange (as I can speak from personal experience, given the many strange stares I have had
            that all re-enactment has the same goal: to bring history to life. Unless a time machine i
            closest we can ever get to the past is people re-enacting it for us (I would say historica

            a fact universally acknowledged that they are of dubious accuracy). We may be figures of f
            re-enactment brings to life often nameless people who otherwise would be no more than fade
            worn black and white photograph, or drawings on a scroll or book. Through people like Lenk

            have the closest link you will probably ever get to the past. We can never truly inhabit t
            13th century knight or a 17th century serf but we can try as best as we can to give an imp
            they were like. Of course we are never fully accurate (especially concerning language), bu

            you can see the people who once inhabited the Earth, at some point in history. Going to a 
            you an idea of the art and architecture of a period, but re-enactors give you an idea of t
            lived in it.
                                                                                                      
                                                                                                      
            William Francis Hannell was an Erasmus student from Britain (home university: Aberystwyth 
            His email is wfh(zavinac)hannellfamily.plus.com [ MAIL "wfh(zavinac)hannellfamily.plus.com