A Modern Medieval Pastime
Presented to you by Alexander Rzehak
There Was Just Something Simply Medieval About it…
‘Twas bright and sunny the day of King Richard’s Faire, and the commonfolk needed no motivation to participate in or observe the spectacles that occurred on October 16th, 2022. As one who never really indulged in medieval activities besides the occasional 2am YouTube video on jousting or a Game of Thrones recap, the atmosphere of the faire was overwhelming. To my surprise, there existed an entire culture that revolved around medieval ideologies. Performers drew in massive crowds to watch their acts, even though by modern standards they are outdated. An air of simplicity encompassed the faire grounds which allowed everyone, including myself, the opportunity to feel free and relaxed, despite being there for a graded school project. I found myself participating in, and wanting to participate in every event or activity, and even purchased some artisanal goods.
Skill-based events were what really drew in the crowds. I had the fortune—or misfortune if you’re an introvert—of joining one of the performers on stage. As I walked onto the platform, which was dubbed the Mouth of Hell, onlookers jeered and hollered as they knew they would be in for a treat, and I had the best seat of all. As I looked upward, a red-and-yellow-clad jester towered above me atop a twelve-foot unicorn unicycle juggling a machete, a flaming bowling pin, and a torch. The crowd loved it. While this sort of performance would never win any major livestreamed competition, such as America’s Got Talent, it was unique and tailored to the medieval ideologies each attendee had. As I surveyed the crowd, it was interesting that the only onlookers with their phones out were us, the students tasked with recording events at King Richard’s Faire. Perhaps we can chalk this up to a desire to escape from the everyday technological pressures we face in the silicon age and immerse ourselves in the medieval past. We see this medievalist attitude persevere throughout history, as we constantly envy the past for its simplicity as modernity has no days off. Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and A.W.N. Pugin were enthusiastic endorsers of these sentiments, and during their era, there was a revival of medieval culture, arts, and tradition which seem to have infiltrated the 21st century in the form of this faire. As modernists continuously strive to find new breakthroughs that will increase our hours on technology, it is more important than ever to indulge in medieval activities as it is a sanctuary of sorts. John Ruskin articulates this aspect in his critiques as well, and states that artists and entertainers ought to “place, at the service of former imagination, the art which it had not — and to realize for us, with a truth then impossible, the visions described by the wisest of men… bringing the resources of accomplished art to unveil the hidden splendour of old imagination.” [1] The performers at King Richard’s Faire, and the Unicycling Unicorn, embodied this ideology and instilled within us a medieval safe haven where we can all escape to in the face of overstimulation.
Dusk approached, and it was my time to return to campus, but still the medievalists partied onwards into the night, reluctant to let go of the magically simple past.
