Exciting though combat may be, it is hardly an accurate reflection of everyday life in the Middle Ages, and "Living History" exhibits are beginning to get the attention they deserve from mediaevalists. The public are often just as interested in a merchant and a customer haggling over a purchase, a weaver making fine braid, or a domestic dispute, complete with flying crockery!
Those who like amateur theatricals can have a lot of fun inventing scenarios to get the audience interested and involved. These activities and the "props" that go with them enhance the atmosphere at public displays, and at any gathering of mediaevalists.
Many people have tents in Viking, Byzantine and Turkish designs. It is possible to buy these ready-made, or you can make your own.
Byzantine tent "Gokstad" Viking tent Two Byzantine style bell-tents
The common tent used in England and Francia at this time was the geteld (pronounced yeteld). A theoretical pattern for the geteld can be seen here.
Shovels and wood-axes that were used in our period can be used in setting up your campsite.
pick and wood-axes from the Bayeux Tapestry
Cooking gear can include big iron (or bronze) cooking pots (some a metre tall!), iron spits for roasting carcasses, ladles, and even a sort of toasting rack!
Wood or stone bowls can be used for food preparation, and iron tripods to support a bowl over a fire.
iron pot tripod ladle toasting rack
soapstone and iron cooking utensils (Norway)
Viking implements, including wooden bucket, bowls and draining board, clay pots and iron cauldron
Gridiron (Norway) Roasting spit (Norway)
Cauldron and tripod, oil lamp on stand, and a long handled flat griddle (all of iron)
12th century Scandinavian knife with bone handle
One of 4 candleholders from the Gokstad ship burial c.850-900AD, and the only one with carved decorations. Longest side 185 mm. Two of the others were circular, 150 mm diameter, and the other was a 170 mm square with quadrants cut off the corners. The thinnest one is 5 mm thick. The black mark is charred wood.
Copyright (c) 2002 by Steven Lowe.
The material in this page is for research purposes only. Permission to reproduce material from this manual with author acknowledgment is granted for non-commercial purposes
Last Updated 4 November 2002