Dissertation on Re-enactment - a plea for aid!

[Wes]

1) What gender are you? Male

2) What is your age group? 36 - 45 (37)
Under 25
25-35
36-45
46-55
56-65
Over 65

3) What period do you portray? Roman, 7 Years War, Am. Rev. War

4) What role do you play? Roman Leigionary, 42nd Highland, militia

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?
Although a hobby, I (and a friend) do presentations to Schools, Libraries, Churches Etc. I also enjoy Learning by doing.

6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event?

Yes, Racism pops up at times, but if you put as a straight forward account of the Past, not personal beliefs, we are usually OK

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?
Seen as glorifying war/violence
Violence as entertainment
Sensitive time/locality
Need for authenticity Other
Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Education Entertainment

See Above...

9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?
Always unethical
Period too recent
The group/unit portrayed
The location
Violence too graphic
Violence with no educational purpose
Inauthentic display
Timing (e.g. during real war)
Never inappropriate
Other

Inappropriate would be people stating their opinions as fact, excessive consumption of alcohol in a period camp, Etc.
10) Have you any other comments?

Over all, most of the people in the re-enactment periods I participate in are top-notch people. Always willing to loan a hand, help newbies, talk with spectators, etc.

Good Luck!! Hope this helps!

[Carus Andiae]

Thank you!

[Robert]

Salve Carus,

1) What gender are you? M

2) What is your age group? 46-55

3) What period do you portray? Roman

4) What role do you play? Auxillia footslogger

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?
Research

6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event? Yes

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?
Need for authenticity

8) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Education

9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?
Violence with no educational purpose
Inauthentic display

Having read your research question, I thought of the former director of HOME, who would not allow Roman Re-enactment into their late Iron age village during events on the grounds of these groups "glorifying the oppressors".
In WWII re-enactment, there are precious few SS-detachments or Wehrmacht or Volkssturm groups in evidence.

On authenticity, recently an interesting remark was made on RAT. There are a lot of centurio and optio around for the number of Miles present. Lot's of crests around as well. All chiefs, no indians :lol:

[Carus Andiae]

Thank you!
One thing - I should probably know this, but what is/was HOME?

Re: SS, they seem to be more popular (in terms of re-enactment, that is!) in the UK; what is generally considered one of the best WWII groups, Battle Group South, do Waffen-SS. I suspect in many cases it's the attraction of being an elite unit...

I imagine protraying the Germans isn't such a problem in the UK (or US) because they weren't occupied territories... though a group had recently set in in Jersey doing a Kriegsmarine Artillery unit which was stationed in the Island during the German Occupation, and they've had a pretty positive reaction (even from many Islanders who remember it). That said, we suffered a lot less than other occupied territories. Anyway, heartening to see people forgive, if not forget.

[Marcus Mummius]

Lot's of crests around as well.

And this is bad because? A lot of people here on RAT, I'm one of them, believe that common soldiers also wore crests, also in battle.

This is one of the examples were reenactment has been damaging to research. The Ermine Street Guard once started designating their optio by giving him a crest and side plumes. Almost every European group has copied this. Most of these reenactors really believe there is hard evidence for this. There all 'brainlessly' copying someone else's interpretation.

Whenever I put on my Gallic F with the crest and side plumes you hear people say (other reenactors): 'Look, an optio helmet'. Some of my commilitones also have a helmet with a crest and sideplumes. So to them it looks like we have several optiones. While our real optio has a helmet without sideplumes and only a crest.

But you can be sure we remember who's optio (The screaming maniac with the staff with the ball on the end) and who's not

Vale,[/img]

[Matt Lukes]

Here's Mine:

1) Gender

Male

2) What is your age group?

36-45

3) What period do you portray?

1st half, 1st Century CE

4) What role do you play?

Regular legionary (although I'm not strictly a reenactor since I'm a Legion of One)

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?

If/when I do, it will be the experience of living at least a semblance of the history I've read so much about and from/ through that being able to share the knowledge with fellows and the public (sort of two reasons I know, but interlinked)

6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event?

Expecting you mean with respect to things the Romans did- conquering, reprisals for rebellion, keeping slaves, etc., not at all. It's inapporpriate to judge different times by current standards of what's right and wrong, and as well, I say let he who is without sin cast the first stone- the truth is everyone's been nasty to everyone else throughout time- so I leave that out.

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?

See 6) :wink:

8 ) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?

Getting things right and not spreading misinformation- things that cannot be proven being described as 'how it was', for example, as oppposed to 'how it could have been because we're not entirely sure'.

9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?

It depends on what the audience is enlightened enough to handle. For the general public, unethical would be to demonstrate things that while acceptable at the time, are not now- having reenactors volunteer to be, for example, household slaves might be pushing it in some places, but certainly treating them as sometimes slaves were, would be going too far. The major thing would be the demographic of the audience as well- if children are to be present, many things that could be just demonstrating historical truths such as gladiators willingly submitting to death as part of a match, various punishments such as decimation, etc. that might be shown (gently of course) just to educate people on the facts, may not be suitable for younger audiences.

10) Have you any other comments?

Not at the moment but if I think of any, I'll post them- good luck with the project

[Carus Andiae]

Thank you, Marcus and Matt.

[Robert]

HOME is the Historisch Openlucht Museum Eindhoven (Iron age and Middle age) and I would welcome more info on the crest issue on another thread or PM, as this has been puzzling me to no extent, hench the comment All chiefs, no indians. Something to discuss? Good luck with your research!

[Carus Andiae]

Thanks!

[Renius]

Salve Carus,
Hopefully this isn't to late to help.
1. Male
2. 46-55
3. Roman
4. Roman Legionary(Beginner)
5. 'Live' the past I think it ties in with the research, education
etc.
6. Yes
7. Need for authenticity
8. Education
9. If its unbiased, never........I think?

________________

Renius/Greg German

[DECIMvS MERCATIvS VARIANvS]

1) What gender are you?
Male

2) What is your age group?
36-45

3) What period do you portray?
Roman, First World War, Second World War

4) What role do you play?
Ususally just a soldier of some sort.

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?
Hobby, Research and ‘Live’ the past -- definitely NOT "Educate the public"

6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event?
no

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?
Only this. Hobby politics are total BS! I hate janitor generals and people who have no respect for others and other groups. I have found you can learn something from EVERY group out there.

8) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Education Entertainment neither

9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?
BS politics come out. "We're better than them," etc.

10) Have you any other comments?
Yeah, I like reenactors. They're cool. I like the hobby. I love the Roman era, all the way from Caesar on to say Marcus Aurelius interests me, a LOT. I love how so much is not known about this period. I like to interact with others who have the same love -- egos are NOT something I wish to deal with, that's what we have at work and inthe "real" world. How's that?
Marsh

[Carus Andiae]

Thanks Renius and Marsh.

We're getting an interesting variety of replies.

[Chuck Russell]

1) What gender are you?

MAle

2) What is your age group?

25-35

3) What period do you portray?

Prehistoric (including Iron Age)
Roman
Dark Ages (post Roman – Saxon/Viking etc)
Medieval (1066 to 1485)

4) What role do you play?
soilder: basic man of the times.

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?
Hobby
Research
‘Live’ the past
Educate the public

6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event?

i wouldnt do anything that i wouldnt normaly do. keep politics out of it.

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?


Need for authenticity

8) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Education


9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?

Inauthentic display

10) Have you any other comments?

[Robert Vermaat]

Here's Mine:

1) Gender: Male
2) What is your age group?: 36-45
3) What period do you portray?: early 4th to early 5th c. AD
4) What role do you play?:
Normally, I'm richly equipped enough to play an officer of the Field Army, but also regular trooper or 'guard to the bishop'.
5) Why do you take part in living history activities?
Because I like it to bits, because it's fun interacting with other re-enactoirs and the public, educational purposes
Which is the most important reason?:
I guess I already wanted to do this when I was a kid.
6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event?
Not like those differing from day to day. 7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?
It's not work and it should not become work, ever. It's important to have rules, but also to keep seeing each other as equals. Eaquality and trust amonst each other.
However, it's also important to keep the public at some distance, since the have different ideas and rules at an event.
8 ) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Trust. If that's going without saying, everything is cool.
9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?
If it becomes purely commercial. I mean, I like getting paid for my being there (also helps to pay for gas and new helmets), and I sometimes do an appearance for free, but I would never consider doing something for a disinterested public. Never company outings or 'dress-up parties' for me.
10) Have you any other comments?
You might want to ask more about family? Or to what lengths people can go to do this?

[Carus Andiae]

Thanks, Chuck and Vortigern.

Vortigern, do you mean how a re-enactor's hobby/work affects his or her family? I know there are some cases where the whole family gets involved, but I imagine that where that is not the case the amount of time the participant spends on re-enacting can sometimes interfere with their 'real' life. Would that be true?