ANST - Re:

[James Crouchet]

Rachel wrote:
> 
> Greetings
> I am a social anthropology student at  Cambridge University, England,
> and a Tudor re-enactor. I am doing my finals dissertation on Historical
> re-enactors. As part of my fieldwork I am conducting a survey by email of
> re-enactors. If you would be willing to answer the questions on my short
> email questionaire please email me.  Answers will be confidential and the
> Dissertation will not be published
> 
> Thank you
> Rachel

I have been in the SCA for 15 years. I would be willing to do the survey if you wish. However, I
will point out that the SCA is not exactly a reenactment organization. Rather than trying to
duplicate scenes from history we try to re-create some of the conditions and then let events run
their course. Since people have actually changed little in the last 1000 years, the results are
often similar to what happened in period, but never identical.

If we have a "war", we do not accurately recreate battles from history but rather conduct it as an
actual competition between the two sides. We often have tournaments where the competition is quite
real, though conducted in a way that is safer than what our ancestors used.

I am also a Texas History Reenactor, so I do know the difference. While some of the SCA's costuming
and encampments are accurate and well done, most of it would be considered quite unacceptable to a
reenactment organization. However, the SCA is much better able to allow us to experience the
feelings our ancestors must have experienced. What was it like to be a Nobleman? To owe someone
fealty? To have your honor on the line (and for that honor to actually mean something)? To stand in
a line of battle with expectation and some fear? To have a king and queen who may be kind and wise
or may abuse their power and treat their people harshly?

Reading histories tells me that what the people of the past felt, how they reacted and the solutions
they came up with are quite similar to some of what we experience.

James Crouchet
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