From: tip@lead.aichem.arizona.edu (Tom Perigrin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Authenticity vs. fantasy (long)
Date: 18 Nov 92 05:45:35 GMT
Distribution: world, na
Organization: University of Arizona UNIX Users Group


Greetings, Unto William de Corbey, and to the entire Rialto, from Tom Perigrin
(16'th C mode OFF).

Recently our Barony hosted the Atenveldt Crown Tourney.  Since the College
of St Felix was playing a significant role in the tournament, and since
we are supposedly dedicated to Arts and Sciences, I decided to put on
an unannounced quiet A&S woodworking demonstration.  So, during the tourney
I schlepped my work bench (6' long, 2' wide and 4' thick top with 4*6 legs...)
to the site and started doing some wood work.   As the afternoon wore on,
various and sundry people came over to see what I was up to...

I was being the mediaeval Roy Underhill (or as a friend jokes- Colonial
Mediaevalsburg) - dressed in appropriate 16'th century joiner 
clothing, working with period tools (all hand forged by me), using period
techniques, and attempting in my small way to utilize Elizabethan english.
I expected people to be excited about the opportunity to interact with
somebody who had put in so much obvious effort to do everything as right
as was unreasonable.

The reality was amazing - NO-ONE understood or was terribly interested
in what I was up to.   This really floored me, due to the fact that when I
do this at Arizona, Colorado or California Rennaisence Festivals(Faire) I
get CROWDS of mundanes standing around asking lots of questions.   At this
event the typical interaction went like this...  (This is, to the best of
my poor memory, a transcript of a conversation I had with one fellow).

"Whatcha doin?"
"Ifaith, My Good Lord, I am carving a rose in this panel which I shall
    set in the chest I am building and which lies in pieces yonder"
"Oh kewl.  Do you carve devices?"
"I regret to say My Lord, that I have only enough hours in the day to
    make those things which my Good Wife and I require for our own household."
"Ah, does that mean you don't do it?"
"I regret to say My Lord, that it did so signify."
"Well, if you ain't a merchant, then why are you here?"
"My Lord, I did think me that I could set my bench many places and work this
    day... I could set it under a tree at my cottage, or I could bring it here
    and enjoy this fine pageant while I did persue my small efforts.  Since
    I have done the former many times, and latter but seldom, I did decide that
    I would be most pleased if I did pursue such a course, and so here I am."
"Well, like, do you work with a merchant?"
"Nay My Lord, this is all for myself."
"Well then, why are you doing it here?"

etc....

	Now, I must say that the comparison is not directly fair.   At a
typical day at a Festival/Faire the gate will be from 7,000 to 15,000 patrons,
while the tourney barely attracted 200.   But still, I would have thought that
I would have gotten some greater level of interest in my little attempt
at a period display.   Instead, once most people realized I wasn't 
selling something they could buy, they lost interest and disappeared.

	I am a little puzzled by this...   I didn't expect people to aclaim me
the next King because of my prowess with chisel and mallet,  but I didn't
expect such total apathy.   I still don't know how to explain it.  Maybe
I should have washed my peasant garb since last year?  (joke)


Who says "we" can't or don't want to reproduce the less savory parts of
Mediaeval or Rennaisance life - a few examples - 

During Rennaisance Festival I DON'T wash my 16'th C clothing,  but my 
wife  occasionally sneaks it into the laundry and then I have to start all 
over.

I get even with her though,  when the clothing is clean I generally
roll in a puddle, and smear kitchen waste on the shirt sleeves to simulate
drippings and napkin usage.   Arrr, being a crude peasant is FUN.

Someday get me to tell you about the day I spent all afternoon 
eating raw onions while working on a timber framed cottage, and talking to
Renn Fest patrons...   the look on their faces when they got a sniff of me was
priceless.   Unfortunately, the onion is truely a "windy fruit", and my
stomach was upset for about two or three days after.  My wife refused to 
have much to do with me for a few days too.

Someday I'll tell you about being a Slops Boy at Renn Faire,
but that gig didn't last long because the owner was afraid the health
department would object to somebody carrying a barrel of human waste
through the fair.   I did make saltpeter from cow dung and human urine 
though!

Did you know that you can eat a pheasant that has been unrefrigerated
for 5 days, and only get moderately sick?   Its a period dish called
High Game Pie!   It smelled awful, tasted bad, and everybody had the 
runs afterwards.  But it was period.



Yours in bepuzzlement
Thomas Ignatius Perigrinus (AoL)
From: Beth.Appleton@f4229.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Beth Appleton)
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