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Episode Description
Each year about three million Americans visit Medieval and Renaissance Faires and Festivals. Among the largest is the annual Maryland Renaissance Festival, about a half hour drive from my home. In this episode I talk with a veteran of this podcast, Dr. Larissa "Kat" Tracy, about the appeal of the Renaissance Faire and Festivals. It turns out that Kat is not only a renowned scholar of medieval literature but is also a devotee of Renaissance Faires, which she has been attending in full costume since 1990.. (She reminded me to add the silent "e.")
The episode begins with historical medieval fairs, focusing on the Fairs of Champagne, an essential element in the commercial revolution of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Each year six fairs were held, each one lasting six weeks. They rotated through four towns. The Fairs of Champagne had a critical economic purpose, connecting the two powerhouses of the Western European economy, the textile industry of Flanders and the merchants of Italy.
We turn from that to consider England's oldest fair, London's St. Bartholomew Fair, founded in the twelfth century. By the sixteenth century, this fair's original economic purpose as a cloth market was eclipsed by the entertainment it offered--music, acrobats, puppet shows, plays, wild animals, freak shows. That leads us into a discussion of modern Renaissance Faires and Festivals. Kat discusses the appeal of and different varieties of cosplaying; describes what a typical day at a Faire is like for her; explains why American Renaissance Faires are so often set in the reign of King Henry VIII; and offers recognition and appreciation for the actors, musicians, and vendors who transform a fairground into a day's visit to an imagined past.
Dr. Larissa "Kat" Tracy's video podcast Medieval Mischief and Mayhem is available on YouTube, SubStack, and with premium material on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/MedievalMischiefandMayhem)
This episode includes a snippet from The Gathering's performance of the "Rocky Road to Dublin" at the Maryland Renaissance Festival on Oct. 8, 2022 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnoVpPs81yY)
Listen on Podurama https://podurama.com
Intro and exit music are by Alexander Nakarada
If you have questions, feel free to contact me at richard.abels54@gmail.com