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The English Renaissance ran from the early 1500's to the 1600's. The Elizabethan Era during Queen Elizabeth 1's reign, the focus of the festival, was the height of this period.
It was a time of internal peace, exploration and expansion, music and art. William Shakespeare composed his plays during this time.
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Landsknecht Pike Demonstration
Come learn about the German Landsknecht Mercenaries, the Pinnacle of Renaissance military power!
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Royal Rat Pucking Event
All you need is a walking stick and a filled cloth rat and you can join in with the Queen in her daily Rat Pucking event. Rats and Sticks are available for purchase from the Rat Pucking Vendor. Very few actual rats are harmed during this event.
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Royal Joust
Performing a Joust de Plaisance (Joust of Pleasure) with all the excitement and pageantry of a 16th century jousting tournament. Local to South Bend, The Renaissance Riders is part of the Renaissance Equestrian Center which provides riding lessons and boarding.
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Swords of Valour
Swords of Valour perform a mix of stunning sword play combined with cunning wit and comedy
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Royal Jail
Does someone you know need a time out? Pay off the jailer ($1) to lock up a friend or family member. They knaves will get an official warrant written out for them, their charges are read publicly, and then will be forced to perform to gain their freedom. It is said that the "Happy Unicorn" is a popular punishment. For an extra dollar the miscreants can be thrown in the stocks and their accusers may throw "rotten fruit" (wet fruit shaped sponges) at them.
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Bell, Book and Canto
Traditional Renaissance music combined with some well-loved folk tunes. Their "Nerd Show" has arrangements of popular video game and TV show songs, and is not to be missed.
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Boffer List
You can try your hand in knightly combat in the boffer list. Wield a foam sword and take on opponents in a massive free for all or even challenge one of Dragon Fire's sword fighters! Only $2 to join the list.
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Kids Quest
Queen Eleanor of Kamm has proclaimed she needs adventurers to complete a quest to attain status in the kingdom. All young who are bold and valiant may attain the quest at the front gate.
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Royal Court
Join Queen Eleanor as she holds Royal Court and takes care of state business. Young adventurers who have completed their quest, must appear before the Queen to receive accolade.Court will immediately be followed by a parade around the Kingdom of Kamm with the Queen and all attendees of court.
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Craft Project Tent
Young villagers should stop by the craft tent near the front gate. There are many fun projects here, where you learn a skill and keep what you make.
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Kingdom of Dragon Fire
The Kingdom of Dragon Fire is visiting the land, and they will be giving educational demonstrations on live steel fighting. They detail what weapons and armor were really used for and show various techniques that were used in fighting in the medieval ages. They even allow you to feel what the armor and some of the weaponry feel like. At the end they beat on each other for your amusement using the weapons they have shown you.
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Sentinels of the Rose
The Sentinels of The Rose, knights under King Edward IV of the House of York, deliver thrilling live steel performances. Fresh from their victory at Barnet, they showcase their skill in ring tosses, fruit cutting, and intense unscripted combat, bringing the epic clash with the Lancastrians to life.
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Medieval/Renaissance Information Continued
The medieval period of history was a time of poverty, poor hygiene, and prickly nobles, while the Renaissance was the "rebirth" of all that was good from the classical periods of Greek and Roman history. Or were they? There are a multitude of common misconceptions about both of these times, some more flattering than others. This is a very brief introduction to the conclusions many scholars have drawn about the realities of these periods.
In England, the country of focus for our faire, the medieval period began in 410 AD when the Roman army withdrew from Britannia to aid the troops defending the Roman Empire closer to home. The period directly following the Roman withdrawal is known as the "Early Middle Ages", and lasted from the 5th century into 11th century. This is the beginning of the time many refer to as the "Dark Ages". One of the biggest misconceptions of medieval history is that the "Dark Ages" are thus named because society and the standard of living were so poor. In reality, this time has been dubbed the "Dark Ages" because of how little we actually know about it. Very few written records remain regarding this period for a number of reasons, which we will not digress into here. Therefore, the Early Middle Ages are "Dark Ages" because for subsequent scholars they are not illuminated through writing.
One thing we are certain of is that the Early Middle Ages were a time of drastic transformation. It is during this period that farming was revolutionized, modern saddles were invented, and Christianity spread like wildfire throughout Europe. Most of the few written accounts that remain from this period detail conversion stories of various tribes and countries, or tell the story of a saint's life. Far from a dark point in European history, the Early Middle Ages paved the way for the ever-romanticized periods that immediately followed it.
The High Middle Ages, which lasted from the 11th century into the 14th century, is the period many people imagine when they think of the term "medieval". Knights, jousting, tournaments, feudalism, beautiful ladies at court, and impressive castles are all trademarks of this time. The Crusades also occurred during this period, and it was around this time that the story of Arthur and his knights of the round table first originated.
The Late Middle Ages, which lasted into the 15th century, was once again a time of change. The cultural, economic, and social growth that had occurred in the High Middle Ages came to a halt. Wars, famine, and plague became the immediate concern of the people. This triggered intense feelings of dissatisfaction with the current society, leading to peasant uprisings (which rarely, if ever, had occurred previously), religious schisms, and renewed interest in the old world of the Greeks and the Romans, where everything seemed better. This romanticism of the Classical world, which was manifested especially in art and science, directly resulted in a complete obsession with all that was Classical.
The English Renaissance ran from the early 1500's to the 1600's. The Elizabethan Era during Queen Elizabeth 1's reign, the focus of the festival, was the height of this period. It was a time of internal peace, exploration and expansion, music and art. It is called the Renaissance because it was a rebirth of Roman and Greek culture that had become less common during the Middle Ages. William Shakespeare composed his plays during this time, and many famous inventors, astronomers, and mathematicians also made their debuts in the Renaissance.
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