My Lords & Ladies Medieval Fayre
Categories: fairs
Date: 27 May 2007 08:11:34
While I slept in and missed Pentecost at my parish, once I got up I visited grandma, bought some (unexpectedly on sale!) winter pyjamas, and then, seeing it advertised, went along to the My Lords & Ladies Medieval Fayre, which opened the 2007 Blacktown City Festival, A License to Thrill (get it?). No photos sorry, as I didn't have my camera -- not expecting to go; hopefully there'll be some put up somewhere soon that I can link to. Blacktown City is the city north of the city I live in, Fairfield City.
The Fayre was held at the beautiful Nurragingy Reserve, and truly was a wonderful afternoon out. A number of stalls were set up, with arts and crafts and clothing on display and for purchase; there were a number of demonstrations of all sorts -- the weight and size of armour, the use of weapons, period costumes -- all from various medieval societies which I never knew existed; a bagpipe group and a quartet of jesters (or at least persons dressed like jesters) playing drums as they walked around the park; various people in all manner of costumes -- from wenches to witches to Hagrid!; and then there was the main jousting ring and a smaller demonstration area, where, as well as the action, we got to learn a bit about history and just what it was like for the knights, ladies and armies of the day. Belly dancing even featured as pre-joust entertainment.
The jousting ring was the highlight for me. It was amazing to sit back and watch the skill the riders have: both in manoeuvring their horses and in terms of the various games: whether it was slicing a rockmelon in half or picking up a steel ring, or jousting with another, and seeing the lances shatter and break on impact: amazing. As were the armours and the colours the horses were decked in. Two Sirs and one Lady participated: they are all Australian and/or International champions in some area (I was amazed to find out that there are such things as Australian Jousting Championships!), and the Lady had beaten seven men in a recent contest. One of the men ended up winning -- the winner was decided by the loudest cheer -- but they all did so well. The demonstration of fighting techniques through the ages on a small area off to the side was also very entertaining.
I often feel that time would've been a wondrous time to live: though I no doubt romanticise it and can see that I would've been lucky to live past my early years and the rest of my life would've been hard living as a serf or similar: I doubt I ever would've been a knight or anything approaching one. I am rather lucky to be living at this time in history: but it's rather enjoyable to get a taste of other eras in history.