Historical reenactment

Historical reenactment is a hobby in which participants recreate some aspects of a historical event or period. It may be a narrowly-defined time period, let alone a specific war or other event. Or it may be more broadly defined.

Reenactment is not new, there were tournaments in the Middle Ages which recreated earlier times. The Victorians recreated medieval furnishings, such as tapestries. And in modern times you can find caroling groups dressed in Victorian outfits bringing some flavor of that time into the present.

The term living history describes attempts to bring history to life, either for an audience, or for the participants themselves.

The primary distinction between reenactment and a period dramatic performance is the degree of immersion and the amount of improvisation.

See also: Reconstruction archaeology.

Some Historical Reenactment Groups

• The Society for Creative Anachronism

External Links

• Historical Reenactment (http://www.panix.com/userdirs/wlinden/enact.html)
• Histrenact (http://www.montacute.net/histrenact/index.htm)