Whats wrong in Dark Age re-enactment

[Sigurd]

Same question as about WOTR re-enactment, but different period and no starters . What could Dark Age re-enactors do better?

[Medicus Matt]

We could start by trying to eradicate the term Dark Age for a start.

[Fluffster]

Roll in horse S**T before a gig?

[medievalisboring]

There's nothing wrong with Dark-age reenactment, as long as you're in the right group, that is...

[WorkMonkey]

It's boring to watch, now don't get me wrong, I'm in dark age re-enactment but it is simply boring to watch. My parents have said it, my friends have said it, I've heard members of the public say it at shows. Before I got into it I saw loads of shows from the main groups, and smaller ones, and they are all the same, 2 infantry blocks walking into each other and hitting untill no-ones left. That's the problem with the period as a whole, the dominance of infantry and a lack of other units, but to combat this we should make the most of it instead of doing the same-thing-every-event. Scripted events within the battle that are well rehearsed and look impressive would be a start, I saw a Regia show at Whittington Barracks ages ago and there was only like 15 per side or something, so they had a champion come forward from each side and they engaged in single combat which was very impressive because they were both big, experianced guys and it looked pretty rough, and then the winning sides army was meant to charge into the other and rout them, and it looked alot better then some of the other bigger shows.

[medievalisboring]

the worst thing about dark age reenactment in the last few shows I've watched is seeing that EH horsey-bloke being lifed up on a shield. Never gets tired of it, does he? Smug g*t.

[Brendan C]

I thought lifting the victorious leader on to a shield died out during the Iron Age.

Provedence for post 410 A.D. anybody?

[katy]

"It's boring to watch"

You obviously haven't seen a Britannia Gladiatorial then, We have actually made members of the public sick and small children cry.

[Brendan C]

Strewth! Didn't know there were gladiators in the dark ages!

[craig1459]

We have actually made members of the public sick and small children cry.

When can I join?

[guthrie]

You made the public sick and children cry? Thats unusual. How did you do it?

[Tuppence]

2 infantry blocks walking into each other and hitting untill no-ones left

speak for yourself - I don't think I've been to an early med show where that happened all year.

[Scraggles]

"You obviously haven't seen a Britannia Gladiatorial then, We have actually made members of the public sick and small children cry."

Sounds good, off to work, but why no website in profile list like mine ?

[WorkMonkey]

"It's boring to watch"

You obviously haven't seen a Britannia Gladiatorial then, We have actually made members of the public sick and small children cry.

I saw some gladiators at Kennilworth castle, they had an operation table which was cool with all the fake blood and acting, the fighting was ok. But it's not really early medieval...

[colonelboris]

I think the best one was when we managed to spray the fake blood into the crowd. We got a 14 page letter of complaint about the violence after our first gladitorial. Marverllous.

[Chickun]

I want to know where the "inbred capital of suffolk" is.

[mac (crucesignati)]

I always thought Dark-age was a right laugh, great fun especially when, like me, you never done it and only experience it at multi-period bashes where 2 - 6 nutters in woad (blue-paint) and little else, jump you (13th century knight) and give you a right shoe-ing. I think its great, don't know what the public make of it but there you go!

Like the Britannia members avatar, are there any more pics of the female members, they look hard as nails, scary and yet... strangely exciting..

[tonw]

I happen to have seen one of the best shows in a few years andit was dark ages.

the battle was an after though of the main event almost put on because people expectted it but was still a bloody good show.

the main thing about this show was the camp life it was rough and in some instances brutal with several judicial duels being fought throughout the day as well as an contest of arms to decide the champion of the day. it was all very entertaining and good fun.

though my fondest memory was the big hairy axe man rushing the three rank sheild wall, to be let through by the first two ranks then bouced about like a pinball in the middle of them before being sent back to his lines dazed brusied and weaponless

[Medicus Matt]

the worst thing about dark age reenactment in the last few shows I've watched is seeing that EH horsey-bloke being lifed up on a shield. Never gets tired of it, does he? Smug g*t.

Actually, he (he being Mark Nice-but-dim) hates it because every time he's up there we keep telling him that we're going to drop it...give it a bid of a judder, just to put the sh*ts up him

[Medicus Matt]

I saw some gladiators at Kennilworth castle, they had an operation table which was cool with all the fake blood and acting, the fighting was ok. But it's not really early medieval...

That was us. Glad you liked the surgery, we aim to please (actually we aim to get the press cameraman with the first spurt of blood..heheheh).

You're right though...not early medieval.

Two lines clashing a few times and then having people fall over is pretty damned dull and I think that most groups (good ones anyway) do understand that clients want more these days. Larger groups have started using battlefield formations, sending in different sections of troops, boarsnouts etc and the smaller ones (at the very early end of the spectrum) have cavalry and even artillery to mix things up a bit. Having an infantry line engaging a few charging cavalrymen, having the line break and then having the cavalry riding down the fleeing infantry certainly seems to liven things up a bit.

[Medicus Matt]

I thought lifting the victorious leader on to a shield died out during the Iron Age.

Provedence for post 410 A.D. anybody?

Ahh, but we were doing the revolt of Magnus Maximus in 383 (so to you matey), only 23 years after Julian is recorded as having been raised on a shield when he was proclaimed Emperor. It's thought that it was still practice amongst the germanic tribes in the 4th century and it was the foederatii in Julian's army who raised him on the shield.

I think that Charlamagne was raised on a shield too..I'll have to check that though

[gregory23b]

Lowestoft Chickun, Lowestoft, oh Dear!

[Sigurd]

I think to write off all Dark Age/Early Medieval battles as boring is very harsh! A badly done battle can certainly be boring but that goes for just about any period! As Matt points out larger groups are able to show tactics like boar snouts etc and some unit manoeuvring. I have also heard members of the public comment that a real feeling of panic communicated itself to the public as one of the lines began to crumble. In the end two armies of warriors who can’t be bothered and are just going through the motions is boring to be in the middle of and will look boring to watch, but two armies of warriors really up for it going at it hammer and tongs and who really want to win (yes I think it is important ) and look good will give a really good spectacle.

[Parsley - a friendly lion]

I saw a dark age group at Bovington and they were very dull, the public were drifting off after a few minutes. Mind you, I went to Tewkesbury and watched and that was even duller, and we left after a few minutes

at the end of the day there is only so much you can do with two lines of people armed with hand weapons.

How can it improve ........ get rid of the cricket gloves for starters.

[Parsley - a friendly lion]

I think that Charlamagne was raised on a shield too

Blimey..... did that one shield have to feed him throughout his entire childhood ? Mind you, having seen dark age reenactor shields then he'd have plenty of nutricious dog chew to see him through (just be careful with the carpet tacks !)

[Guest]

Blimey..... did that one shield have to feed him throughout his entire childhood ? Mind you, having seen dark age reenactor shields then he'd have plenty of nutricious dog chew to see him through (just be careful with the carpet tacks !)

It was enormous and made from chocolate, with tobacco leaf bindings and a coffee bean decoration. 'Tis the holy grail of early medieval re-enactors!

It had no tacks, as they're a re-enactor anachronism

[Medicus Matt]

It was enormous and made from chocolate, with tobacco leaf bindings and a coffee bean decoration. 'Tis the holy grail of early medieval re-enactors!

It had no tacks, as they're a re-enactor anachronism

Oops, forgot to log in.

[Cat]

I did my first gladatorial show early this year and loved every minute. We were not up to the standard of the Britannia crew, but we did it as well and as orfentik as possible.

A good moment for me was locking my arms around some evil Roman's leg, having just received a shoeing, and refusing to let go. it was a damn sight more hands-on than medieval, and a hell of a lot of fun.

[Brendan C]

I thought lifting the victorious leader on to a shield died out during the Iron Age.

Provedence for post 410 A.D. anybody?

Ahh, but we were doing the revolt of Magnus Maximus in 383 (so to you matey), only 23 years after Julian is recorded as having been raised on a shield when he was proclaimed Emperor. It's thought that it was still practice amongst the germanic tribes in the 4th century and it was the foederatii in Julian's army who raised him on the shield.

I think that Charlamagne was raised on a shield too..I'll have to check that though

I bow in awe to your far greater knowledge of the period. Though I would love to see some of my society's bods get lifted up on a shield.

Brendan C

[katy]

'Though I would love to see some of my society's bods get lifted up on a shield. '
Ye Gads NO Brendan, our shields wouldn't take it!
Its as much as the Limitianii can do to carry some of our more 'Chunky' gladiators off the arena