[Ansteorra] Period or not-period: the continuum

[Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace]

Salut cozyns,

I've seen some excellent forwarded for diplomaticaly informing someone that 
their appearance, accoutrements, efforts, and what have you are not period. 
One point I have not seen addressed is the simple fact that "period" 
re-enactment is usually relative. Yes, some items are blatantly modern: cell 
phones, aluminum soda cans, watches, PDAs, talking about computers, current 
slang. On the other end of the continuum, very liittle that we do, see, 
wear, use, or say is actually "period."

Honestly, then, what we're trying to do is help one another move more toward 
the medieval. With that in mind, I think you can always start (as some have 
mentioned) by praising the efforts to move toward faithful re-enactment. I 
think it's also important, however, to understand the limitations that the 
re-enactor needs to overcome. Some of the limitations vary from individual 
to indivudual depending on their available time and money.

I can think of dozens of examples, but let's look at just one for the 
moment. At my very first event, I saw a young man in a cotehardie-like 
jacket and hose. Unfortunately, the hose were black-and-pink tiger stripes. 
At first I thought it was a political statement of some sort, but in 
conversation with him and several others later, I discovered that he was 
just clueless. He thought they would be acceptable as "particolored hose."

So, here's an example of the continuum of "period" with respect to that 
young man's hose, starting at the modern and moving back through time to a 
specific time and place (1390 England):

MODERN

Shiny pink-and-black tiger striped lycra spandex workout tights.

Non-shiny single color opaque lycra spandex workout tights.

Off-the-rack re-enactor tights (Seamlyne or T'ger Toggs, for example) with 
codpiece.

Machine sewn tights of bias-cut wool or linen.

Hand-sewn tights of bias-cut wool or linen.

Hand-sewn tights of bias cut wool or linen that was hand woven and dyed with 
materials available in 1390 England.
.
.
.

1390 ENGLAND


lo vostre per vos servir
Meser Lyonel
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Micel yfel deth se unwritere.
		--AElfric of York