Something Period: Medievalizing Your Encampment
When it comes to medievalizing, there are two camps of people. Some people are happy to have paid the best price for their gear, whatever it may be. They are content to sleep in a cheap modern tent, with "director-style" camp chairs, to wear a vaguely period t-tunic, and to use medieval-ish feast gear. And there's nothing wrong with that. You paid a great price for it, and you're enjoying the Society. But there are some people who want more. They want to look *good*, they want to look *period*. The problem: they have no money. I distinctly fall into this second group. So, is it possible to look the part without spending a king's ransom? Of course! If it wasn't, I wouldn't have this page. So, on with the tips!
The stuff on this page:
General tips on medievalizing your encampment:
- Keep your persona to something you can afford: Obviously, you're not going to get a full-blown Elizabethan noble's look on a tight budget. But there are plenty of other times where you can get by just fine. A minor lord living in early- to mid-period (ie: after the fall of Rome and before the Renaissance) might not have had too much more extra money than you. You can relatively easily pull off a Viking or Saxon (or Frankish, etc.) look without shelling out too much cash. Keep your budget in mind when picking your persona.
- Do your research: Following from the previous tip, look into how things were actually done in period. If your persona didn't have much more money than you, they definitely wanted to make the most of it. Often what was done in period was the most economical way. For example, what did they eat at different times of the year? A medieval person had no choice but to eat in season (ie: whatever grows now is what you eat), and even today, eating in season is significantly cheaper than eating out of season. A period pattern like the Tunic of St. Louis can save you nearly a yard of fabric, even on a simple t-tunic. If you're going for period materials, this can add up to significant savings. The same applies to nearly all aspects of your persona.
- Drop cloths and slipcovers: Even if all you can afford is a nylon camp chair, you can still make it look good. Go out and buy painter's drop-cloths or some cheap cotton, and make a slipcover for it. Have an ugly (obviously modern) cooler you want to hide? Cover it with some fabric. And just because you're buying cheap fabric doesn't mean it has to look cheap. Paint your device or other scenes on the fabric. If you're a seamstress, try some embroidery. Embellish it. Have fun! A little fabric paint can go a long way.
- Tents: Though I use a modern tent right now, my goal for this summer is to have a viking-style A-frame pavilion. I have been told that making this style of pavilion is cheap (less than CAN$100, perhaps significantly less), easy (can be made in a weekend), and fairly portable (everything except the poles can fit into a large rubbermaid container). I can't attest to this yet, but check back and I'll be giving updates as I make my pavilion.
- Small accessories make the big viking: A t-tunic is just a t-tunic. But a t-tunic with period-style trim, a wide belt, costume jewelry, a belt-knife and pouch, a veil (for women) or cap (for men), and boots... now we're talking persona! If you can't afford fancy fabric, try to get accessories that fit your persona. Little things here and there make a huge change to your overall look.
- Act and speak forsoothly: Even if you can't afford anything yet, people will ultimately be impressed by your actions, not your gear. Act like you want others to act around you. If you want to bring out a period atmosphere, begin with your own words and actions. I know some people don't care about whether they're acting like their persona, as long as they have period gear. A lot of people think it's very hard to maintain your persona all day. This would be true if you needed to know details about every event going on in your persona's life, but this is not the case. Like your clothing, small changes make a huge difference. For example: Bow instead of shaking hands. Greet people as "milord" or "milady" instead of "hi". Don't talk about computers or George Bush. I find that a way to get myself (and keep myself) in persona is to pick up an accent. It's an instant reminder that I'm someone different, someone who doesn't know about television or microwaves. Give it a try for an hour and see the difference it makes.
Because of the huge range of things "medievalizing" covers, there is no five-step method for this one. Check individual topics that interest you, and you'll probably find something there. Some people, however, have submitted tips that specifically relate to medievalizing your encampment or being in persona. Here they are.
- Tatojiya of Dunromi has submitted quite a few tips on how her household medievalized their encampment. Click on the link to see it!
- Submitted by Eulalia de Ravenfeld: Being frugal has made me more medieval. Eating seasonally was the only way to eat in the middle ages, and it's the cheapest way to eat now. Instead of buying a food dehydrator, I figured out how to dry fruit, vegetables, and mushrooms for (almost) free, using nothing more than string to hang them up, or in the case of the mushrooms, a basket to lay them out in. Real quills can be cheaper than the calligraphy pens you'd find at an art store. Cutting your garb on a period pattern saves a lot of cloth. Hand sewing is less expensive than buying a sewing machine. I only own a few outfits, which is (I believe) more accurate than making myself a new dress for every event. I actually joined the SCA in a large part because I wanted to learn utilitarian things like sewing, food preservation, and spinning.
- Submitted by Brynna of Axewater: Do you want a cool looking banner, or do you want some applique to cover up a stain/tear in your garb? Get in touch with that quilting group I mentioned, or find someone in the SCA that will teach you. It is a VERY period way to cover up oopsies. And then you'll have that bartable skill that you need.
- Submitted by Joe Papasso: There are times you want to be yourself, and there are times that you need to be a different version of yourself. When I'm at work, I wear a ring on my right hand that's a bit bulkier and tighter then my wedding ring on my left. Now since I don't always wear this ring (as opposed to always wearing my wedding ring), when I have it on, I can feel it. This is a constant reminder that I need to act like this "other" me. If you incorporate this into your costume, it may be easier to stay in persona.
Do you have a tip for keeping yourself and your encampment in persona? Email the webmistress at julie.golick@gmail.com.