Re-enacting

[blackjohn]

I was cruising along the net when I came across The Dirty Pikeman's site. I really enjoyed reading their philosophy of the hobby, especially the final thoughts.

[Fox]

What a brilliant site!

But they forgot "Dancing"

[blackjohn]

How on earth could they forget dancing!?!?

(I think my friends were at that same event.)

[JoshuaRed]

Oh yeah THAT looks very familar!!

[blackjohn]

Josh knows... yes he does...

Sorry you moved away, and I hope you can find as much fun down in the sun!

[tishsparrow]

im judging from these pictures that falling down is a big part of it? didnt do actual reenacting like that yet...

[Dorian Lasseter]

Oh but falling down is part of it.... they're re-enacting being drunk....

I done that many times....

[JoshuaRed]

Quite a bit of fun in the sun, John! Got our annual passes to Disney and rode up a storm on POTC last weekend...probably going back for more this weekend!

Going to St Augustine soon, and then PIP this winter. Lotsa piratey goodness.

[Jonathan Hawks]

I says, bring on the party.

[Patrick Hand]

judging from these pictures that falling down is a big part of it? didnt do actual reenacting like that yet...

Thats the part the public don't see...... alla th' fun......

Aaaaaah.... Health and Happynes hour(s) ...But the Company pee's were a real hastle, when the comand was "Fire by File....."

[capnwilliam]

This has little to do with re-enacting.

There are many people with something of an interest in history who like to dress up in costumes, get drunk, make noise, and call it reenacting. It isn't. Call it "having fun" or "fantasy role playing" or "partying", but it isn't re-enacting.

Capt. William

[Fox]

Actually it's pictures like this that I think provide the best foil to people saying "re-enactors are boring" or "people who do living history have no sense of fun".

Both the photos I posted were taken at re-enactment/living history events of the highest authenticity and educational calibre, it certainly wasn't a case of "dress up in costumes, get drunk, make noise".

You may notice in all the photos that it's dark. This is what happens after the public have gone home, but for the people taking part it's as much a part of the re-enactment weekend as anything else we do.

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Then are we to assume that the current century is the only one where people got drunk and made noise?

I have heard that people as far back as the Romans got drunk and made noise....

gof

[capnwilliam]

Actually it's pictures like this that I think provide the best foil to people saying "re-enactors are boring" or "people who do living history have no sense of fun".

Both the photos I posted were taken at re-enactment/living history events of the highest authenticity and educational calibre, it certainly wasn't a case of "dress up in costumes, get drunk, make noise".

You may notice in all the photos that it's dark. This is what happens after the public have gone home, but for the people taking part it's as much a part of the re-enactment weekend as anything else we do.

Why does a re-enactor need to get drunk in an attempt to impress others? Anyone can get drunk. Reenactors should impress others with how well they can learn, live, and teach history.

If I were a non-reenactor, I would be turned off by those people in the photos, not attracted by them. Would it make me want to go to a re-enactment? No. Why would I bother? I live in New Orleans, and see drunken fools all the time anyway. Why would I need to wear funny clothes and make a trip somewhere to get drunk?

Capt. William

[capnwilliam]

You may notice in all the photos that it's dark. This is what happens after the public have gone home, but for the people taking part it's as much a part of the re-enactment weekend as anything else we do.

Yes, how well I know; that's one of the reasons I left the SCA!

Capt. William

[Dorian Lasseter]

Hmmmm.... lets take a slightly different view here...

I've been doing reeanctments many a year... everyone at a reenactment does not get drunk... But many folks do..... Funny thing is, we all get along, no mean drunks... So stupid stuff has happened, but that's another story...

It's alot like what many folks do after work... you have a long day, good or bad, the clock strikes "quitting time", you and your buds got to the bar for happy hour...That's what happens after the public go home at a reenactment... it's 'happy hour with you buddies' Only you're all in kit, out in the middle of an event site... Standing and sitting around a fire, listening to stories and good music.....

And Nobody's trying to impress anyone there by getting drunk...

[blackjohn]

Why does a re-enactor need to get drunk in an attempt to impress others? Anyone can get drunk. Reenactors should impress others with how well they can learn, live, and teach history.

If I were a non-reenactor, I would be turned off by those people in the photos, not attracted by them. Would it make me want to go to a re-enactment? No. Why would I bother? I live in New Orleans, and see drunken fools all the time anyway. Why would I need to wear funny clothes and make a trip somewhere to get drunk?

Capt. William

One doesn't. In fact, in my photo none of the "dancers" were drunk. I personally have not been drunk since December 4th, 2004. I've not been drunk while at a re-enactment since... I can't remember.

Btw, did you visit the website I referenced in the first message in this topic? It was a very astutely written article. Our esteemed colleague Mr Foxe and I just added a bit of silliness to of our own to the author closing comments.

As for "impressing" the public... that's not why I'm "re-enacting" pirates. Pardon me if I sound cold, but for the most part, I don't care about teaching the public. They don't pay me enough, and if I was going to teach the public something, there's a helluva lot more I would want to teach them that would be more useful. In fact, I'd be just as happy if no public was even around at events. More re-enactors, sure!!! Public, eh.

Before I step down from the soapbox, I'd like to ask, how many here have actually re-enacted piracy?

[Fox]

Cap'n William, I completely respect your opinions on drunk people, and if it's not your idea of fun then that's fine, but it doesn't alter the fact that for a great many people having a few drinks and getting a bit silly in the evenings is a part of re-enactment. Referring back to my original post, I didn't say you had to be drunk, I just said that dancing was one of the fun bits about a re-enactment event. For the record, in one of those photos I was completely sober, hadn't touched a drop, had just arrived after a long journey and it was just what I needed to unwind and get in the mood. In the other photo I was very very very drunk indeed. On neither occasion was I trying to impress anybody. And, as John says, I was only trying add a bit of our own humour to what was a well written, but ultimately pretty funny webpage.

John, define re-enacted piracy. I've never actually taken a ship and used force of arms to subdue the crew of another vessel while I stole their cargo...but that would be actual piracy, not re-enactment wouldn't it? I did once use a pea-shooter to get an opposing skipper in the eye during a boat race...

[Mad_Molly]

I did once use a pea-shooter to get an opposing skipper in the eye during a boat race... 

That's brilliantly devious.

[blackjohn]

John, define re-enacted piracy. I've never actually taken a ship and used force of arms to subdue the crew of another vessel while I stole their cargo...but that would be actual piracy, not re-enactment wouldn't it? I did once use a pea-shooter to get an opposing skipper in the eye during a boat race...

Good shot, eh wot!

Re-enacted piracy defined. Take an incident from history, e.g., Blackbeard versus Maynard. Outfit appropriate ships, and at a time near the anniversary, send them out on the "high seas" (or up a muddy river) and have a mock engagement.

Most of what we do as pirates isn't re-enacting. At least not like that. Ship to ship battles are few and far between.

Btw, heard you were under the weather. Hope you are feeling better.

One last thing. I'm not judging anyone, nor am I pointing fingers. We all do what we do for reasons of our own. If one is happy wearing a black studded leather outfit with bucket boots and pretending to be a pirate, who am I to judge?

[Patrick Hand]

Why does a re-enactor need to get drunk in an attempt to impress others? Anyone can get drunk. Reenactors should impress others with how well they can learn, live, and teach history.

ONE (and I'm not a good person to expline this).... But reencators are NOT drunk when they are reenacting..... that happens when the public is gone......

Pyracy,,,, well hell...................... at Ojai... I get drunk th' night befor... then drink Ice tea in rum bottles..My impression of Pryacy is Not nice..... Pyrtes DID drink (and a lot of them died from alcohole poisining........ )

Ok so I'm showing a not PC or AA virsion of this bit of history,,,,

But back to the original arguement......

All the people in the photos were having fun.... the re enactment was over.. (after hours) the public never see that.......... so who cares............... sorry Capt Will..... maybe you don't understand..... not picking on you... so we can disscuss this in the Pub... and figure it out..........

[blackjohn]

Pyracy,,,, well hell...................... at Ojai... I get drunk th' night befor... then drink Ice tea in rum bottles..My impression of Pryacy is Not nice..... Pyrtes DID drink (and a lot of them died from alcohole poisining........ )

Ok so I'm showing a not PC or AA virsion of this bit of history,,,,

My friend Scurvy Hanna and I talked about this briefly at our last event. He said, "you know, we should do the really psycho pirates sometime." I laughed, and my first thought was of L'Olonais. I doubt many site coordinators would be pleased if we did that sort of thing. Personally, I don't mind if I have someone mildly drunk in my camp. That is, if they aren't handling weapons, and are able to behave themselves.

[JoshuaRed]

Oh man that would be insane! Who would volunteer to be the "victim"? They could take their pick of being strung up by the ankles and disemboweled, be forced to eat their own heart, have their lips fried in a skillet or spit-roasted.

Of course using simple scarecrow type dummies could add a wonderful comic/satirical element to it...if such a thing is possible with those atrocities....

Better yet...teddy bears!

[Fox]

Good shot, eh wot!

I deliberately steered close, he thought I was going to ram him. As it turned out I just got a lucky shot...

Take an incident from history, e.g., Blackbeard versus Maynard. Outfit appropriate ships, and at a time near the anniversary, send them out on the "high seas" (or up a muddy river) and have a mock engagement.

We've done boat-to-ship cutting out in battles and we've even done a ship to ship boarding (MAN! That was fun!). In both those cases the vessels were 19th century sailing vessels and we weren't re-enacting any particular battle, just a generic GAoP period sea fight. Does that count?

Personally, I don't mind if I have someone mildly drunk in my camp. That is, if they aren't handling weapons, and are able to behave themselves.

We actually have a strict rule at events that I organise, that nobody drinks alcohol during the day. Apart from the obvious safety issues I also think there's the issue of families coming to watch see us, talk to us and watch what we do. They don't come to have some fat beardy guy breathe beer fumes all over their kids. Other event organisers have different rules and thats fine by me, but at my events you can do what you like in the evenings - if you want to jack up heroin that's none of my business, but everyone is sober and clean when the public are around.

My friend Scurvy Hanna and I talked about this briefly at our last event. He said, "you know, we should do the really psycho pirates sometime." I laughed, and my first thought was of L'Olonais.

Someone invited a couple of special effects student along to a medieval event I did a couple of years back. After the battle when the losing side were routed one of them got "caught" and the other guy came and sliced his ear off. Blood everywhere! The ear was a reshaped pig's ear, but they wouldn't tell me how they did the rest of it. Mmm, maybe stinking of beer would have been less offensive to the public...

Btw, heard you were under the weather. Hope you are feeling better.

I'm not even gonna ask how you heard or who you've been talking to about me... Yes, I'm much better thanks. Had a migraine for four days, didn't sleep for two nights, but a combination of drugs killed the pain and the doctor says I've got a good chance of survival...

[Dorian Lasseter]

Aye Foxe,

Ya gotta love them Special FX guys!!!!

At many French & Indian War Reenactments, we've had 'scalpings' done on the field of battle... no blood... just a nice scalp under a gent's hat/tam and when the 'victim gets shot and goes down, one of the opposing Indian Allies runs out, pulls a knife and 'does the deed" letting out a grande war whoop and displaying his 'prize'... It's great everytime it's done...

And many years back, at Bacon's Castle in VA... At an English Civil War event, one of the lads took a bullet in the shoulder, off to the side of the field we had a surgeon remove it.. he had a blood squib, and when he dug out the ball, it looked great... even had a metal plate to drop the spent ball into, then took a red hot poker to sear the wound.. he had a small wet sponge in his hand that he pressed the poker to.... nice sizzle...

I miss that fun stuff....