Welcome to the Reenactor’s World

Well met fair reader!  I am very excited to be blogging about the world of the historic reenactor.

In this blog I hope to explore the mystery of what reenactors do and why we do it.  Many of you mundanes (that’s reeanctor speak for those who aren’t reenactors) might wonder: Where do we get our clothes or our weapons?  Are you all actors? How does one become a reenactor?  What kind of people become reenactors? By solving these and other mysteries I hope some of the mundanes will take up this hobby—a hobby that can offer great joy and rewards. 

Being a reenactor will stretch your imagination, help you learn new skills, challenge yourself, give you an opportunity to explore and live out your fantasy.  Like the army it lets you be all that you can be.  A reenactor is an explorer in a new world.  You have to learn a new language, new way of dress, new ways of enjoying food and drink.  Hopefully this blog will serve as a map to guide you on your journey.

For those of you who are all ready reenactors I hope this blog will rekindle the excitement that you felt when you first joined your group, maybe learn something new, and hopefully you will join the conversation and share your experiences so we can learn from them.

Reenactment is also a hobby with its share of challenges.  Modern day concerns such as lawsuits, cost of insurance, rising rental fees for halls all intrude into the reenactors world.  This dark side will also be discussed.

I am a member of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and Ye Pyrate Brotherhood, so most of my comments will naturally be about being a medievalist or a pirate.  I recognize that the entire span of human history has its reenactors and I hope to write about them as well.  Since I can’t time travel to all the time periods at once I encourage the rest of you living historians to join the conversation.

Fair Winds and Calm Seas.