Renaissance Fairs Are About Re-Creating Medieval Times, Right? (Not anymore, apparently)
- Thread starter georged
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Pink Crocs didn't exist hundreds of years ago? Huh. Learned something new today.
best ren faire ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Though have never really seen a historically accurate ren faire. Always a mix of time periods and always at least one pack of hobbits.
Though have never really seen a historically accurate ren faire. Always a mix of time periods and always at least one pack of hobbits.
Nah, Rennfaires are about boobs and turkey legs - both on skinny geeks in tights and grilled birds. 
Third girl came through with the bazooka wham zam blammers for real.
Sigh. I'm not going to kvetch about bodacious babes.
But, I remember the first Renaissance Faire, before the organizers turned it into a commercial enterprise, when it was a fundraiser for a non profit. My parents took me to it. I was probably 8 or 9 at the time, and the one thing that still sticks in memory was the pair of dangline cages overhead, holding a couple of dwarfs in each, that flanked the entry. The dwarfs hurled insults and bawdy suggestions at the crowd as it entered. Now, that was positively medieval.
In the early '70's I worked the Faire, when it was still located in Malibu, for a couple of weeks and it was pretty wild after the grounds closed for the day. it was perfect for young 20 somethings.
But, I remember the first Renaissance Faire, before the organizers turned it into a commercial enterprise, when it was a fundraiser for a non profit. My parents took me to it. I was probably 8 or 9 at the time, and the one thing that still sticks in memory was the pair of dangline cages overhead, holding a couple of dwarfs in each, that flanked the entry. The dwarfs hurled insults and bawdy suggestions at the crowd as it entered. Now, that was positively medieval.
In the early '70's I worked the Faire, when it was still located in Malibu, for a couple of weeks and it was pretty wild after the grounds closed for the day. it was perfect for young 20 somethings.
New World fowl is certainly not very medieval. I was going to make the joke that the whole point of Rennfaires is to keep the nerd population from dwindling to nothing.Nah, Rennfaires are about boobs and turkey legs - both on skinny geeks in tights and grilled birds.
Can you imagine how depressing real Renn Fair would be? Serfs digging dirt looking roots and rodents to eat, monks flagging themselves for their sin, knights raping cows and stealing women..
I went to 3 renn fests in my life. Not only did I not understand any of it, but I'm still trying to recover financially.
I'm not going to criticize anyone having fun without hurting anyone. Seems fairly harmless to me?
I blame Game of Thrones for this nonsense. If I need to see scantily dressed ladies, it's the beach for me.
If they were doing renfests when Sable was 8 or 9 years old wasn't that back before tv's were invented and all the movies were black & white silent ones?
I haven't been to a Renfest in about 10 years so I don't remember seeing a Game of Thrones tie-in, but there were plenty of pirates, hobbits, and fairy tale costumes. You would think if they wanted to do Renfest, they would have to include Shakespeare, Chaucher, King Arthur and Vikings.
My first wife and her sister were occasional models for local women’s magazines, and her Daddy owned a dozen banks, and if I could live one day again I’d like to go back to the first Kansas City Renaissance Fair in 1977.
My first wife has been dead 10 years and her sister almost 40.
But they were dark haired fair maidens in 1977, as I strolled with one on each arm.
I completely forget what they had me wear, not that anyone else noticed, either.
Both of them got very close to looking exactly like a high Middle Ages version of a young Emmylou Harris, they looked like twins.
My first wife has been dead 10 years and her sister almost 40.
But they were dark haired fair maidens in 1977, as I strolled with one on each arm.
I completely forget what they had me wear, not that anyone else noticed, either.
Both of them got very close to looking exactly like a high Middle Ages version of a young Emmylou Harris, they looked like twins.
I’ve been to several and had fun but even at the time there were lots of contradictions and weirdness.
One of the things that I recall the most was a guy in a pillory shouting just filthy insults at passers by to get them to buy tomatoes to throw at him. Something like three for five dollars or something. After a particularly vile tirade against a guy’s wife, the man turned around, calmly looked at the joker and handed over a twenty dollar bill and got a bucket of tomatoes. The joker had a few seconds to begin heckling the guy before he caught a devastating tomato to the face. Followed by another and another and another. All the bystanders were dead silent. The joker was nearly unconscious. No more jokes. Nothing was even remotely funny and I thought maybe we were seeing a murder in action.
After the last tomato the crowd was stunned and uncomfortable. The guy quietly said “Learn some respect; and don’t insult the wives, especially not the wife of a baseball pitcher.”
Bawdy and naughty is okay to a point, but wow, that was something I never expected to see at a Rennfaire.
One of the things that I recall the most was a guy in a pillory shouting just filthy insults at passers by to get them to buy tomatoes to throw at him. Something like three for five dollars or something. After a particularly vile tirade against a guy’s wife, the man turned around, calmly looked at the joker and handed over a twenty dollar bill and got a bucket of tomatoes. The joker had a few seconds to begin heckling the guy before he caught a devastating tomato to the face. Followed by another and another and another. All the bystanders were dead silent. The joker was nearly unconscious. No more jokes. Nothing was even remotely funny and I thought maybe we were seeing a murder in action.
After the last tomato the crowd was stunned and uncomfortable. The guy quietly said “Learn some respect; and don’t insult the wives, especially not the wife of a baseball pitcher.”
Bawdy and naughty is okay to a point, but wow, that was something I never expected to see at a Rennfaire.
I know I shouldn't laugh, but there is something hilarious about that statement,
Yeah, it was a strange experience. I agree that bawdy insults are normal and expected for the Renaissance thing and a way to make money, etc. but the whole thing was over the top and the reaction left everyone confused and uncomfortable. I mean the heckler was way out of line but crikey… he probably needed medical attention and the pitcher dude probably needed an assault charge and anger management classes. It was weird.
The irony of a celebrity sports star preaching about respect for wives is definitively something straight out of the news …. Pot, kettle much?
The irony of a celebrity sports star preaching about respect for wives is definitively something straight out of the news …. Pot, kettle much?
The Renn Faire in Holly, MI had these 2 guys show up for several years in the 90s dressed as lepers and they were the funniest people there (which was saying something). You'd be minding your own business, (perhaps watching the milk trucks, if you were a teen as I was), and then you'd realize some fools with excellent makeup had sauntered right up and they began discussing cures for leprosy and asking to look at our fingers and toes.
There was always a smattering of people who were faithful to the period, as well as people in Lederhosen, pirate getup, or whatever. If you've ever known any Renn Faire people when they're not at the fair, they're still pretty wild and unique and fun. Usually.
There was always a smattering of people who were faithful to the period, as well as people in Lederhosen, pirate getup, or whatever. If you've ever known any Renn Faire people when they're not at the fair, they're still pretty wild and unique and fun. Usually.
I have a funny Renaissance Fair story from about 10-15 years ago.
My family and I were walking around when we came upon a harpist. I happen to know a bit of 18th century Irish music and she was playing some of the tunes I knew. I’d call out one and she’d play it. Into the tip basket goes another bill. Another tune, another few bucks. This woman also just happened to be ridiculously gorgeous, and I was paying closer attention than I had a right to.
After we were there for a while, my wife turns to me and says: Would you like me to take a picture of her for you, dear?
Ok, time to go!
My family and I were walking around when we came upon a harpist. I happen to know a bit of 18th century Irish music and she was playing some of the tunes I knew. I’d call out one and she’d play it. Into the tip basket goes another bill. Another tune, another few bucks. This woman also just happened to be ridiculously gorgeous, and I was paying closer attention than I had a right to.
After we were there for a while, my wife turns to me and says: Would you like me to take a picture of her for you, dear?
Ok, time to go!