Renaissance Pher?

[Hawkwind]

OK, I've been attending Faire for over eleven years, and I absolutely love it.

One thing my friends and I have often marveled over is the transformation that overcomes people at Faire. Do they pump pheremones out in to the Faire crowd? It seems that all their inhibitions get thrown to the wind as soon as they enter the gates. Is it the garb, the taking on of a new persona, the chainmail bikinis?

Now don't get me wrong, I love it, but WOW.

I've been to Scarby and the Highland Games in Atlanta and experienced the same thing, so I don't think it's just TRF.

What do y'all think?

~Hawkwind~


P.S. Just for the record, I wouldn't have it any other way!

[Cormac]

I have noticed the same thing and I would agree that I wouldn't have it any other way.  Stepping into a persona especially if it is one that has developed over time, the garb, and the atmosphere of the faire makes it easier to let go of the work a day world.  As long as it is done in a responsible way it is just good clean fun.  Like anything it can be taken to excess but I have not seen that in my relatively short experience with faires.

[LadyElizabeth]

I think that is part of what is so wonderful about faire!!  I don't want to be plain old Elizabeth R. who works for USA on the shuttle and has a masters and a house and is all responsible and stuff....  I want to be someone else for a day or a weekend.  I want to step into a role that personafies a differeent side to my personality becuase I have so many sides and most of them don't get to come out and play during my "normal" life!  Why hinder us weirdos with multiple personalities... haha!  I'm not sure there is a too far personally, unless of course you're married and you play a wench and then end up cheating or something just to stay in character.... that's too far and I truly have seen that many a time.  Actually there are rennie couples who jointly agree to allow this sort of behavior and in that case, I don't see a problem.

[Messyn McCleavage]

Aye, escaping reality and living out fantasies, hence the popularity of gaming (World of Warcraft) and adult novelty shops (props and costumes for couples.)

[Captain Cornelius Howard Duckman]

It's an environment that says "Hey, it's okay to flirt." and we love it. Great place to make friends at random, and start conversations just for the hell of it.

I think the costumes help.

[VIII]

Tights on men, tight bodices on women!

[Joyce "Delfinia DuSwallow" Howard]

Hey. . . that must be the answer, "pheremones"! We were just saying the same thing. What happens to them? But I wouldn't have it any other way, it just adds to the great day I'm already having. I sure have seen some funny stuff at faire.

[groomporter]

That's why we don't normally take on shop help who are not at least legal aged. Even some "adults" hit site and go off the deep end: "It's festival! It's festival!"

[Hawkwind]

I think it's "Fairemones" 

I must say that when designing my latest garb I considered my best "assets" and made sure the garb complented them. IF you like the way you look in your garb, you're more comfortable in it and will be more sensitive to the "fairemones".


How I do love the escape.

~Hawkwind~

[DuCoeur]

Faire is a supremely, and highly...ahem... charged atomosphere.  Leather, Hosen, kilts, bodices, cinchers, corsets...add a splash or three of ale and Voila.

I do think it is the persona one takes on in Garb.  Even in mundane life...does not your attitude, change with your "costume?"

You put on the suit for work, you act  one way.  you come home and put on you fav jeans and sweatshirt, you relax and act another way.  You dress up for a night out at the club/pub/bar...Again, another transformation.  Again, another "costume" change.

The same happens at faire.  I take complaits, and moans and whines from morons all day...When at Faire and in Garb, I am above it all.  the escape into another world, another persona takes over and I become a different person. 

Only my closests friends know who I am beneath the armour of my garb....

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

I would never, ever cheat on my husband (and vice versa, I know him well enough to answer for him), and probably 95% of the playtrons wouldn't either.  Having said that, in the "regular" world, I wouldn't flirt with a guy, nor my husband flirt with another woman.

However, at faire, if a guy flirts with me, or if my husband flirts with another woman, we know it's a joke and fooling around.  Nothing more than a wench and a rogue, good for a smile or two.  Because like in Las Vegas, what happens at faire, stays at faire.  Period. Neither one of us would ever dream of taking any flirting, hand-kissing, hugs, etc. seriously.  And we limit it to that, nothing more, and never give the impression that we would like to continue the banter past the gates.

[Captain Cornelius Howard Duckman]

Cheating doesn't generally enter into it. There tend to be a lot more people of alternative lifestyles, be it bdsm, polyamory, swinging, or even just nonhetrosexualities, that you can usually find everything you need.

[Peddlin]

When you put on garb, it changes your whole attitude. If you are living out your fantasies, why stop at the clothes. I think most people open up much more, and it is easier to justify a lot when you are playing someone else. You can go back home, and leave them responsible. But I also believe that most people keep it within reason and don't really do things that would be against the moral fiber of their true personalities. It's kind of like playing dress up, when you were little.

[Ranna]

I think it's the comfort of being surrounded by others who are as passionate about something as you are.  Just like Trekkies or Star Wars conventions command the attention of thousands - the fest is our thing.  I love my husband dearly but I was born a flirt and the fest has a habbit of bringing out the best (or worst!) in me.  I kiss strange men all the time and the husband always hugs and kisses the ladies.   It's that kind of world where nobody takes offense in the harmless, funloving play.

[will paisley]

I would never, ever cheat on my husband (and vice versa, I know him well enough to answer for him), and probably 95% of the playtrons wouldn't either.  Having said that, in the "regular" world, I wouldn't flirt with a guy, nor my husband flirt with another woman.

However, at faire, if a guy flirts with me, or if my husband flirts with another woman, we know it's a joke and fooling around.  Nothing more than a wench and a rogue, good for a smile or two.  Because like in Las Vegas, what happens at faire, stays at faire.  Period. Neither one of us would ever dream of taking any flirting, hand-kissing, hugs, etc. seriously.  And we limit it to that, nothing more, and never give the impression that we would like to continue the banter past the gates.

Thank you, Lady Renee - I was about to write something exactly like this, but you saved me the trouble.

This is at the heart of why you see such lack of inhibition at faire - because the environment is *safe*.  People know they can carry on without repercussions. Everybody interacting has a clear understanding of what's going on; if a woman covers my face in lipstick, I'm not going to follow her around faire all day trying to get her phone number, and she knows it.  I've often seen danes get confused by the display of affection, asking me things like "Doesn't your wife mind?".  At that point I usually take the opportunity to point out my wife, who more often than not is doing something like checking some guy's tights to see if they're naughty or nice.  Of course, then I have to explain that we're not swingers or in an "open relationship" (Not That There's Anything Wrong With That®).  Standards and mores at faire are different than they are in the outside world, and the regulars at faire understand and respect the difference.  Hell, there's even a few guys who greet me with a kiss on the lips at faire.  If anybody attempted such a thing outside of faire I'd call the police while running as fast as my feet could carry me.  Things like that at faire don't mean the same thing as they do  outside of faire.