Some people not only enjoy reading about history, they also like to experience what it was like to live in an earlier time. This is certainly a major element, but not every re-enactor is interested in dressing in armour and engaging in sword fights. Making the clothes and equipment, arts and crafts, music, dancing, feasting and drinking, camping, and participating in public events are some of the many other activities in which to be involved. Such groups carry out many of the activities referred to above. However, they have a different philosophy towards history, a philosophy that re-enactors find a fair deal of discomfort with.
Some groups allow fantasy characters e.g. elves, vampires, characters from Tolkien novels etc.
Allowing inauthentic materials to be used for clothing e.g. modern fabrics like lycra. Allowing anachronisms e.g. wearing of sunglasses, Doc Martens boots. In their defence there are SOME very knowledgeable people who belong to these fantasy groups, and such people often do set high standards. We are based in Newcastle, Australia. The Whitecoats members are also Routiers.