Is it ok to smoke at faire?

[Valiss]

Now I'm not asking if it is ok to smoke on the faire grounds, because those rules are already determined by the owner. Nor am I refering to modern cigarettes.

So if a faire grounds does let you smoke, it is period to smoke a hand rolled cigar or pipe? Was smoking popular back them?  If tobacco wasn't common to the area, could a privateer character (for example) get away with it because of the traveling?  What are your thoughts on smoking cigars or pipes at faire?

[Noble Dreg]

It's not "period" at most fairs period.

I don't care if it's period or not.  If you paid to get in, and smoking is allowed by the fair then light up.  But if you are asking if your "character" can smoke in Renaissance Europe...no.  Smoking did not become prominent in Europe until the discovery of the new world.  Then again, judging by your avatar your a "traditional" pirate...they were not in middle ages Europe either so again, feel free to light up.

Point:  It's not the SCA, do what's legal and floats your boat.

[Noble Dreg]

I should add, at my fair smoking in the lanes by cast is very frowned upon (though I have seen it as a bit of comic relief).  In past years as a playtron I had been approached by cast and asked not to smoke as the general public could not easily identify me as a "customer".

[will paisley]

So if a faire grounds does let you smoke, it is period to smoke a hand rolled cigar or pipe? Was smoking popular back them?  If tobacco wasn't common to the area, could a privateer character (for example) get away with it because of the traveling?  What are your thoughts on smoking cigars or pipes at faire?

Most of England (and all of the English court) were not aware of tobacco smoking until July, 1586.  The first English book about tobacco was not written until 1595 and Sir Walter Raleigh did not persuade Queen Elizabeth to try smoking until 1600.  Raleigh smoked a pipe.

[Valiss]

It's not "period" at most fairs period.

I don't care if it's period or not.
If you paid to get in, and smoking is allowed by the fair then light up.
But if you are asking if your "character" can smoke in Renaissance Europe...no.
Smoking did not become prominent in Europe until the discovery of the new world.
Then again, judging by your avatar your a "traditional" pirate...they were not in middle ages Europe either so again, feel free to light up.

Point:
It's not the SCA, do what's legal and floats your boat.

Interesting points, thanks. However 1) this isn't about me, specifically, smoking at faire and 2) my character is a privateer, not a pirate, which very much did exsist for our faires time peroid.

And honestly, while it seems very unlikely that someone during that period in Europe would smoke, I dont think it would have been completely out of the question.
Perhaps someone has a character that is a traveler or trader, or perhaps has immigrated from the east where smoking was more commonplace. That said, it would be a one in a million (or more) that does partake, I'd say, based on some comments here and quick look at wikipedia. Just some thoughts. Thanks again for your imput.

[groomporter]

At MNRF there's not only a cigar shop, but we've had a hookah bar in a tent for the last 2-3 years. The cigars get annoying especially when the smokers are inconsiderate and come into booths, or stand near our doorway.

An early term for smoking was actually "drinking" tobacco.

[jcbanner]

When I first joined cast at my home faire, I did some research on tobacco to see if it was in period or not, what I found amounted to tobacco not making a first appearance untill around the 1560's, and it was not rolled tobacco, it was pipe tobacco. Those who were likely to have it would have been sailors from boats that had been to the New World and those were still relitivly few.  And as Will said, the majority of the English were unaware of it untill the late 1500's.

Its the same thing with coffee and chocolate.  and chocolate was nothing like what we think of it today, it was a bitter, brewed drink that was quite expence and only the weathy could afford it.

[Lord Clisto of York]

JC is correct. History has documented that smoking of Pipe herb, many times ground into more of a powder and lit, was used in starting in the early 1500's in the more developed world. It is documented in France and Germany as well. And, in even earlier times, certain ground leaves were smoked in pipes. Here is in part one of the earliest of its starting to be documented -

1460 - People native to North, Central and South America use tobacco, and have for centuries. Two strains of tobacco, rustica and tabacum are grown from Chile to Canada, the former primarily in North America, the latter in the Caribbean and South America below Mexico. Virtually every Amerindian society use tobacco, even among groups that practiced no other agriculture. It was absent only in Northeastern South America where, in Inka times, coca prevailed as the drug of choice.

So, the choice is yours and period if you are not a performer and if you are you are then at the mercy of your performing director or rules at faire. Personally I smoke a pipe at faire at times and one of the period.

Sir Clisto

[Hatter]

I have never been too concerned about historical accuracy with any of my garb.  I usually smoke a plain long stemmed Meerschaum pipe.  I do get many complements on it.  I also have a number of non smoking persons who actually ask me to blow the smoke their way because they like the aroma.  Often they say it reminds them of a grandfather or other relative who smoked a pipe.

[Lord Clisto of York]

Hatter, that is true to. Most of my stuff is early medieval and I do the same. My entire collection is Meerschaum with is period as well as wood and clay by the way. LOL. But I don't do it for that rason either. It fits the outfit and gets a lot of attention to it. So it works.

Sir Clisto

[kcdcchef]

i have no issues with performers sucking a stogie or smoking of a pipe in an act, or even in the lanes. i personally take issues with a performer smoking a modern cigeratte. wasnt happening in the renaissance folks, sorry, it just wasnt. when it did become commonplace in england by the 1600's, it was in the form of a pipe or very aromatic cigars.

as far as patrons go, if you need to smoke, then by all means smoke. but smoking of regular cigarettes at faire should be done in consideration of others. ie, if you are sitting in the middle of a section at a show, or right next to other patrons at a joust or something, dont be a dork, smoke elsewhere!! find an appropriate area!!

getting off of my soapbox now..................

[RumbaRue]

The majority of our faires here do not allow smoking of any kind on the premises due to fire danger.
People have to go out to the parking lots/outside of the faire site, that includes the participants.
Besides I hate cigarette smoke and a lot of pipe smoke isn't that great either.
I just go to my car and light up my herbal and am just fine.

[Butch]

I smoke cigars.  I haven't smoked a pipe for years.  Quit cigarettes in 1992.  From my research, tobacco was smoked in England in pipes at first, but sailors and merchants brought the method of cigar smoking back from abroad.  That fits in just perfect with my personna!  I smoke cigars at the faire.

[RSLeask]

"Quickly" turning into a smoking consideration thing.  Amazing.  Anyway, period point of smoking is done and all, plus you have to look at the type of faire, and obviously your character.  We've a few fantasy characters wandering around our's, and obviously the same rules do not apply... though I do firmly believe that the "modern cigarette" doesn't fit no matter which way you cut it.  Pipe or cigar/stogie, or nothing, if you want to adhere to what qualifies as "period", or even genre.

Not that it stops me, anyway.  Cloves.  Makes me a few new friends every day.  Unfortunate that this is my last season to smoke them... and I'll stop before I get on a rant about tobacco regulation being put under the most corrupt government agency out there, which has effectively banned the sale of my favored smoke in the US.

By the by, for the person talking about the hate of cigar smoke, then in the same breath, going out to light their herbal, I sincerely hope you meant inside the car so you aren't f***ing with anyone that has to "deploy" for Operation: Golden Flow.

[gypsylakat]

By the by, for the person talking about the hate of cigar smoke, then in the same breath, going out to light their herbal, I sincerely hope you meant inside the car so you aren't f***ing with anyone that has to "deploy" for Operation: Golden Flow.

Uhmm- I think Rumba was expressing a personal opinion, and in a rather nice way... your statement was a personal opinion as well, and in a not so nice way.. I personally really appreciate folks like Rumba who go to their car, I can't enjoy faire with my boyfriend because he's allergic to smoke, either he has to go sit in the car because of a light/sound sensitive migraine or has to stay home. Which is also why I haven't gotten a chance to get to know anyone at MDRF because the hang out spots are in the pubs, and while I have no problem with smoking, I'd like to enjoy time with my bf, and that's not the spot for him.

H/A- I seem to remember something from one of my history classes about smoking not catching on till after North American "discovery" due to the lighter/better/less harsh strains of tobacco that were growing here. I'm from Virginia, so we spent a lot of time talking about our "cash crops"