Historical Reenactments and Living Histories

Historical Reenactment

Historical reenactment is a type of roleplay in which participants attempt to recreate some historical event or period. This may be a particular battle, such as the reenactment of Gettysburg, or as broad as an entire period.

Reenactments have a long history. The Romans staged recreations of famous battles within their amphitheaters as a form of public spectacle. In the Middle Ages tournaments often reenacted historical themes from Ancient Rome or elsewhere.

Two major examples of reenactments are combat demonstrations and battle reenactments.

Combat Demonstrations

Combat demonstrations are mock battles put on by reenacting organizations and/or private parties primarily to show the public what combat in the period might have been like. Combat demonstrations are usually not based on actual battles, they generally just consist of demonstrations of basic tactics and maneuvering techniques.

Here is an example of combat demonstration, featuring Swedish military takedown techniques:



Scripted battles are reenactment in the strictest sense; the battles are planned out beforehand so that the companies and regiments make the same actions that the were taken in the original battles. They are often fought at or near the original battle ground or at a place very similar to the original. These demonstrations vary widely in size from a few hundred fighters to several thousand, as do the arena's used (getting the right balance can often make or break the spectacle for the public).

An example of battle reenactment, Pickett's Charge reenactment:



The term living history describes attempts to bring history to life for the general public. Historical reenactment includes a continuum from well researched attempts to recreate a known historical event for educational purposes. Participants incorporate historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is similar to, and sometimes incorporates, historical reenactment. It is used by museums, schools, and historic sites to educate visitors.

This a video about the Shoal Creek living history museum in Alabama. All the participants play the part of confederate soldiers or citizens of the South and never break away from the persona:



Works Cited:

Felner, Mira and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre: Tradition and Innovation. New York: Pearson, 2006. Print.

Combat Reenactment. Wikipedia.
Service. 05 June. 2009. Web. 18 October. 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_reenactment

Living History. Wikipedia.
Service. 12 October. 2009. Web. 18 October. 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_history

Historical Reenactment. Wikipedia.
Service. 13 October. 2009. Web. 18 October. 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reenactment