Defining "Not Period"

[jcbanner]

I don't have issue with fantasy characters. going along with Merlin's line of thought, it was a superstitious time frame.  people would believe those characters existed.

The characters that are from the wrong time of history don't bug me too much, they are still historical archetypes.  Though it does seem that many people of the general public believe that any character type that can be found in Europe between the fall of Rome, and the French Revolution can be found at anytime or place during that roughly 1400 year time frame. 

The sci-fi and modern fantasy characters on the other hand can be a bit much.  Normally they are ok. they are having fun and thats what they paid to do.  But some of them really push too hard with their characters.   Everyone else that paid to get in the gates came to the faire to see a historical inspired festival, not a sci-fi convention.

As far as being spot on historically correct.  It's not relevant.  It's live theater, the important part is the show, not rather or not a particular style of trim won't be in fashion for another 30 years. 

[DonaCatalina]

This is just something tongue-in-cheek (i.e. not intended to be snarky) that I was once writing about the different ways things can be historically incorrect at Renaissance fairs or historical reenactments. I think I had posted on the old version of RF.com, and thought it might be fun to repost it

My wife and I started out participating at a Renaissance fair with a living history group that had a heavy educational goal. I eventually started writing this as a way to explain to other novice historical reenactors that even though an artifact existed in the century you portray, it does not mean that it is an appropriate accessory for a historical reenactor portraying that era.

This is just meant in good fun, paying customers can, and often do attend Renaissance fairs, (and occasionally reenactment events) in whatever is street legal in the local community. In fact, some of the most outlandish costumes at Renaissance fair are actually paying customers who are just playing dress-up for the day. Examples of some of the unusual patrons at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival can be seen on this website: http://mrffriends.tripod.com/pages_groups/unusual_patrons.html

Sub-Definitions of "That's not Period":

"Close, but wrong continent": Something that can clearly be documented during the time period, but comes from so far away geographically you have to create a extremely unlikely story to explain it. -A Highlander carrying a Samurai's katana.

"Close, but wrong class": Something that was being made during the time, but was rare, or so expensive that it could only be afforded by the most wealthy individuals of the time.

"Name that Stereotype": Items that reflect the stereotyped "traditional" dress of a country. -Wearing modern kilts and the accompanying Victorian accoutrements in the Renaissance.

"Ancient History -when in Rome...": Something that went out of fashion so long ago it was unlikely to be seen outside of some noble's collection of antiquities.

Century-impaired (Era-impaired): Dressing historically accurate for one century and attending an event that portrays another century. An acquaintance described attending a Scottish festival, and watching a couple dressed in American Civil War clothing trying to "blend in" with a group of Highlanders.

"Gerry's not dead -I talk to him whenever I flashback!" Tie-dye, hippie-wear, or anything that dates from the Johnson or Nixon "reigns".

"Frodo/Jack Sparrow Lives!" Swords, costumes or other accoutrements straight out of any popular fantasy or adventure movie.

"A Novel Approach to history" Your "documentation" for that comes from a work of fiction?!?

I always found a lot of this to be amusing.

[Nighthawk]

Personally, I'm in a living history group that represents the civilian life of a Scottish Highlander from 1650-1745, so I have dumped so much time and money into my attire for that, that I can't justify getting more costuming. Just look at the targe in my avatar... Those things alone run into the $400-500 range! And let's not get me started on all the work I put into making my basket hilt claymore accurate!! And I STILL haven't finished my scabbard!! Sewing rawhide when it's hot out and the moisture keeps evaporating, causing the hide to shrink, is just a pain in the butt! (For those confused by this, I'm using rawhide for the core of my scabbard.) So am I era-impaired? You bet I am! But I look good doing it... Oh, and as to kilt thing- I don't wear a modern kilt. I wear a 5 yard box pleated kilt. I've been told by so many people that my kilt is pleated all wrong... 

[Amras Elfwine]

As I always like to say, my small pox vaccination scar automatically renders me "Not Period Accurate"...

[maeven]

As I always like to say, my small pox vaccination scar automatically renders me "Not Period Accurate"...

LOL!

[Bob of the Lake]

As I always like to say, my small pox vaccination scar automatically renders me "Not Period Accurate"...

LOL. And let's not forget the fillings in my teeth!  I'm not period either! 

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

As I always like to say, my small pox vaccination scar automatically renders me "Not Period Accurate"...

LOL. And let's not forget the fillings in my teeth!  I'm not period either! 

You have teeth?!?

[Merlin the Elder]

As I always like to say, my small pox vaccination scar automatically renders me "Not Period Accurate"...

LOL. And let's not forget the fillings in my teeth!  I'm not period either! 

You have teeth?!?

Aw, hell yeah! He's from New York, not Arkansas....   

[Bob of the Lake]

As I always like to say, my small pox vaccination scar automatically renders me "Not Period Accurate"...

LOL. And let's not forget the fillings in my teeth!  I'm not period either! 

You have teeth?!?

Aw, hell yeah! He's from New York, not Arkansas....   

Yeah, I have teeth, Merlin, but I don't have hair and you do. And you're from Arkansas... 

[Merlin the Elder]

90% of my hair is on my chin.... 

[DonaCatalina]

As I always like to say, my small pox vaccination scar automatically renders me "Not Period Accurate"...

LOL. And let's not forget the fillings in my teeth!  I'm not period either! 

actually....Aulus Cornelius Celsus (14 B.C.-37 A.D.) with his treatise De Medicina covers dentistry and the possibility of fillings.

[Rowan MacD]

  As a Playtron myself and a paying customer,  I'm not particularly picky about someone elses' garb decisions, unless the person is supposed to be playing a part and the garb or accessories detracts from the performance.  The way I see it, if you are being paid, you need to look the part.
  For example:  I was at a fair recently where more than half the belly dancers in one troupe sported purple or pink hair, glasses and sunglasses while they were dancing.  I won't go into the goth makeup some were wearing, one girl was actually wearing black lipstick and facial piercings.  I have seen this troupe many times over the last 5+ years, and they used to put much more effort into actually looking like belly dancers.  Now they look like the Tuesday meeting of the New Age Daughters of Aquarius, and I avoid attending their performances altogether. 
  I think it has been touched on that vendors should also make (or be required to make) some honest effort to get into the spirit of the fair, and to be honest, some of our producers have been working with them to encourage a bit more than the 'renshirt tossed on over a pair of jeans and sneakers'  that seem to be on the increase.