This is the Seventy-Fifth article in a semi-permanent column for Stroud Arts that appears in the Stroud American. The mission of these articles is to inform, educate and inspire you, the reader, to Make Art Happen in your life and the life of our community.
Over the next few weeks, this column will focus on preparing local volunteers for the 2nd Annual Stroud Arts Medieval Faire. The first step a volunteer must take to create a character that fits into the setting of 1000 A.D. is; learning about the physical environment, customs, politics, economy and folklore being reenacted.
The remainder of this column will concentrate on the Political environment of Europe as it existed over 2000 years ago and as it might be viewed by a member of the small educated class.
‘With the fall of the Western Roman Empire, almost 600 years ago, to the invading barbarian peoples, the lands of Europe became fractured into many small, and often antagonistic, kingdoms. The Pax Romana or Roman Peace, and the remainder of the once mighty Roman Legions, retreated to what was named the Eastern Roman Empire and the only safety or security one could find was among the borders of your fellow peoples.’
‘With the rise of this age of distrust, the once reliable trade routes as well as the roads that increasingly fell into disrepair, shrank or disappeared entirely, creating regions of once prosperous lands and even cities that were now depopulated, isolated or abandoned.
Sadly, travel along those same roads spread a virulent plague that slew innumerable peoples and some tales speak of a pilgrim walking for almost a week, through villages, towns and even cities, where no people lived, yet the homes and buildings looked as though the owner had but recently stepped out and was soon to return.’
‘Due to the hardships of daily living, the learned or educated class shrank in number until only the Clergy and a few Nobles could read or write, thus resulting in a Dark Age of education. Where once the Latin language unified all peoples, though each could also speak the language of their ancestors, now each kingdom or land speaks its own tongue and few are those indeed who can communicate with a far traveler except for the Clergy. It is ironic that the return to the continent of education and learning came from what the Romans considered the most barbaric of lands, Ireland. Indeed, these Irish monks, arriving from the west, have spread the gospel to a world gone dark and many Nobles are beginning to embrace the new concept of Chivalry.’
‘Life became grim, brutish and short, yet with the crowning of Charlemagne as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire almost 300 years ago, unity and peace began to return to Europe.’
‘Now, instead of many tiny kingdoms organized by tribal affiliation, there are larger states that bring many peoples under their suzerainty. The major powers at the turn of this millennia include; The Holy Roman Empire, of which we are a part; The Roman Empire, which some call Byzantine; The Region known as Kievan Rus settled by Norsemen; Muslim Spain; and the Kingdoms of France. The middle powers, with some debate, include; Poland, Hungary, Burgundy, Pecheng and Bulgaria. Smaller regions of lesser import include; Croatian Lands; Southern Italy; Southern Slavs; Normandy; Denmark and England.’
Our first Medieval Faire Orientation Meeting will be held on Saturday, July 10 from 1pm-3pm at the Stroud Arts Building located at 214 West Main Street in Stroud OK. At this community meeting we will orient attendees as to the goals and objectives of the SA Medieval Faire. Cast requirements, Costuming, Character Creation and Performance Outlines will also be covered.
If you would like to be involved then mark your iPhone calendars and make time to come over to Stroud for the afternoon where we prepare to… Make Art Happen!