Authentic Modern History
AUTHENTIC MODERN HISTORY – August 22, 2024 – Conway, Arkansas, USA
Parking attendants for the Arkansas Renaissance Faire pointed new arrivals into a freshly cut hay field. Two friends, Emily and Chantelle, followed directions and parked their white Kia Sorento. They grabbed their phones and water bottles and emerged from their car wearing shorts and sleeveless tops. The late summer day was hot and muggy and they hoped to stay as cool as possible.
Parked next to them was an identical looking Sorento belonging to another pair of friends, Megan and Kiana. They had the hatchback up and were helping each other add touches to their fairy costumes. Both wore green handkerchief dresses with uneven hemlines down to their mid thighs. Plastic wings hung from their backs and were held in place with Velcro straps. Megan’s leaf covered tiara was already in place and she fussed over pinning a matching one into Kiana’s hair.
The pair of friends not dressed in costumes looked around at the large collection of cars without spotting a sign directing them to the Renaissance Faire’s entrance. They turned to the fairy girls hoping for some guidance.
“Do y’all know where we’re supposed to go?” Emily asked.
Megan smiled back and replied, “There should be a tractor and wagon picking people up. You probably just want to wait right here.”
Emily said thank you and she and Chantelle stood watching the other girls finish their costumes. About the time they were done, a massive tractor arrived pulling a wagon equipped with bench seats on all sides. All four girls climbed on board and sat next to each other. As the tractor slowly crawled through the hayfield parking lot toward the entrance, the newly boarded passengers fell into a conversation.
“I like your costumes,” Chantelle said to Megan and Kiana.
“Thanks. We found them on Amazon,” Kiana answered. “We knew we wanted to dress up so we checked on the Faire’s website for recommendations.”
“We wanted something we could also wear for Halloween,” Megan added. “It came down to fairies, mermaids, or pirates. All the other kinds of costumes sounded too hot.”
“What were the other recommendations?”
“You know, historic kinds of things with long dresses and long sleeves. To make you look like you’re dressed up as an old-time maiden.”
“Vikings were also on the list,” Kiana added. “We thought about Vikings but the fairy costumes were a lot cuter.”
“I think it was a good choice,” Emily replied. “Now I’m kind of worried that we didn’t dress up. How many people will be in costumes?”
“Not everyone. Probably the majority. You’ll see. And you don’t have to worry. Everyone’s here just to have fun.”
The tractor crossed over a paved highway that divided the large farm hosting the Renaissance Faire. Portions of the property had been converted into a venue for rodeos, concerts, and festivals. Grass lawns replaced cornfields. Barns were expanded to serve as dance halls and theaters. Bleachers encircled an arena. And getting into the site meant passing through ticket booths built into the gaps of a surrounding fence. The girls riding the tractor climbed off and found the end of a line for those holding electronic tickets. Someone in a Robin Hood costume walked by handing out maps and event schedules.
“What should we do first?” Emily asked the girls in the fairy costumes.
“You definitely want to see the jousting. Maybe some sword fighting if you’re into that sort of stuff. The mermaid lagoon is cool. So is the maypole. And you’ll probably want to see the Royal Court. Just wander around. It’s all fun.”
After showing their electronic tickets, the girls walked onto a lawn lined with tents on both sides. Costumed minstrels played guitars and juggled. Knights on horseback mingled with pedestrians dressed in robes and long skirts. Vendors called out food and crafts for sale. With a decent imagination and wishful thinking, visitors could imagine they had time traveled by many centuries.
“Looks like 75% of people are wearing costumes,” Emily said to her friend Chantelle, feeling very self-conscious.
“I wish we would have known,” Chantelle replied. “Oh well, we’ll have fun anyway. I don’t think anyone’s going to judge us too harshly.”
Two people who did quietly judge them were Megan and Kiana, the girls dressed as fairies. As soon as they were through the entrance, the fairies realized they did not want to be seen hanging out with anyone in ordinary clothes. It felt like being in a foreign country with tourists who did not speak the language. While Emily and Chantelle were mesmerized by two passing knights, the fairies melted away.
“I’m so glad we dressed up,” Megan said as they ducked into one of the craft vendors tents. “Coming to a Renaissance Faire in street clothes doesn’t seem right.”
After admiring leather bags for sale, Megan and Kiana wandered into an apothecary selling real and imagined medicines. A woman in a tall hat and long gown stirred a smoking kettle filled with dry ice. The fairies moved on to a tent packed with swords and knives in ornate sheaths and cases. Neither of them had shopped for a knife before, but the atmosphere made them seriously consider a purchase. They listened intensely as a young knife smith flirted with them in a fake English accent.
“This blade would serve you well my ladies. It was made from fine steel and with a passionate heart.”
Megan and Kiana giggled as they handled knives and practiced pulling them out of their leather carrying sheaths. A married couple, Roman and Delia, stood behind them in the tent eavesdropping on the bladesmith’s sales pitch. Delia had acted in several Shakespearian productions and now wore the same Italian Renaissance gown used for the plays. It had long sleeves, a scoop neck, and a skirt that hung to the ground. The dress’s fabric was crimson and gold with a shiny, silky quality. Roman wore a matching outfit made from the same material, with a short jacket, tights, and pants that ended at the knees. They walked out of the sword and knife tent while the fairies were still deciding on a purchase.
“Do you think they’ll buy something?” Delia asked Roman.
“Those girls in the Halloween fairy costumes? Probably. They seemed simple-minded enough to pay too much for a knife.”
Delia smirked. “Someone’s got to buy all this stuff and keep the hobbyists in business. I’m sure the salesmen’s eyes light up whenever they see kids dressed as fairies or pirates.”
“They saved money by buying a cheap costume on Amazon, so they still have some to spend.”
“They obviously go for the fairy outfits because they show lots of skin. Sort of a raunchy Renaissance.”
Delia and Roman both laughed and speculated over how much more their reproduction costumes made by a tailor cost compared with something you could order online with next-day shipping. Roman concluded by saying, “Imagine going to a Renaissance Faire dressed in nothing but a cheap Halloween costume. It doesn’t seem right.”
The couple walked deeper into the grounds and were naturally attracted to some of the acting performances happening on raised stages. They listened to musical groups, including monks in brown robes singing dirges. After walking through the Royal Court and admiring a woman dressed as Queen Elizabeth, they felt hot and thirsty. Roman suggested buying iced lemonade from a nearby stand. They got in the line of people waiting for a drink.
Standing in front of the Italian Renaissance couple were Kevin and Tiffany. They had attended similar festivals around the country for many years. They were dressed simply. Kevin wore a plain tunic made from rough tan fabric. His pants were dark brown in color and also very plain, reaching down to his knees where they met a pair of long leather boots. Tiffany’s clothing matched Kevin’s except that she wore a floor length skirt made from the brown material.
“How are you enjoying the Faire?” Kevin politely asked Roman and Delia.
“We like it very much,” Roman answered. “Especially all the costumes.”
Kevin nodded and asked, “What’s the story behind your costumes?”
“These represent the Italian Renaissance,” Delia said proudly.
“What part of Italy?”
“I’m not really sure. Probably somewhere in the north.”
“What material did you use for them?”
“I’m not sure about that either. We bought them from a costume shop. The tailor is very good.”
Kevin and Tiffany nodded as if they were admiring the sewing done on the Italian Renaissance costumes. Then Tiffany said, “A few years ago, we decided we wanted to look as authentic as possible. We found material that matched the medieval time period and sewed everything ourselves by hand. No machines. We kept it simple and wanted to look like real peasants, which is how 99% of the people dressed back then.”
The couples continued their polite conversation about costumes until they reached the front of the lemonade line. After purchasing drinks, they walked away in different directions. Kevin and Tiffany, in their simple peasant costumes, took one more look at Roman and Delia dressed in their tailor-made gown and suit.
“They were nice,” Tiffany said.
“Yes, very nice. And that dress of hers reminds me of one you used to wear. Remember the days when we showed up at Renaissance Faires acting like nobility in costumes someone else made? Doesn’t seem right.”
Tiffany chuckled. “No, it doesn’t. But maybe they’ll learn.”
Meanwhile, the two friends who arrived in their everyday clothes, Emily and Chantelle, sat in a tent listening to a class on turning wool into yarn and then into woven material.
“This is what real people wore back then,” the teacher called out. “Next year when you come to the Renaissance Faire, I hope you’ll have a costume made from wool you spun yourself, not material you can buy in a store. If you want to look authentic, that’s the only way to do it right.”
Emily and Chantelle nodded in agreement and scanned a QR code with information on where they could find a weaving loom.
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