Renaissance Reflections

On this Labor Day weekend our family took a trip back in time when we visited the realm of King George and Queen Catherine at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival near the town of West Newton, Pennsylvania. These annual excursions into the cultural periods of the 14th to 17th centuries are now commonplace in many metropolitan areas of our country. Costumed characters roam the grounds. Entertainers of all types from musicians to acrobats provide unlimited merriment for the 21st century visitors. An array of festival foods like fried turkey drumsticks, bratwurst, and beer delight the palate. Conversations typically include a smattering of Shakespearian English.

This particular festival was held on a glorious sunny September Saturday and the crowd soon swelled to a number that left the “portable privies” hopelessly outnumbered. The chivalrous knights and their steeds played to a packed house as they sought to outwit each other with equestrian skills and more verbal than combat jousting. The washing well wenches succeeded in their quest of drenching the audience while embarrassing a few brave fellows along the way. A brother-sister act provided funny feats of acrobatics and a vaudeville-style juggler delighted the crowd with his skills while Daisy and Rocket (his two dogs) stole the show.

A Renaissance Faire is certainly affordable and fun family entertainment (well there are those wenches that might be rated as PN - Pretty Naughty). That’s not why I chose to offer a few reflections about our experience. The baffling aspect of these events is found in the numbers of visitors who show up dressed in period costumes totally committed to the life and times of the late Middle Ages. They seem excited to place themselves in a different era, where monarchies ruled and feudalism drew distinct boundaries between a privileged few and the rest of serfdom. The sight of so many adults and children regaled in medieval attire can be a bit disconcerting. Within minutes of our entry into the “kingdom” we were surprised to hear our name called by someone dressed as a nobleman, sporting a dapper black eye patch. It turned out to be my son’s comic book dealer. And so it goes.

Perhaps those who visit the faire in medieval garb are simply trying to make the most of their themed surroundings. Some may secretly wish for a life that seems more carefree and fun. Others might aspire to greater deeds of courage and bravery, like the knights who joust for queen and country in the arena. A few are probably secretly wishing this imaginary world still existed. I’m not going to judge anyone’s motives or question their right to have a good time.

However, it does seem a bit ironic that we remain so fascinated with a period of history when enlightened thought produced mostly cruel tyranny. I doubt if any of us would have enjoyed living under the oppressive monarchies or feudal system that governed society in those days. If there is a lesson to be learned from our trip to the renaissance faire it is that playing king and queen for a day is harmless. Immersing oneself in an entertaining depiction of some past era is a feast for our senses and a brief respite from the stress of modern society. It is also a reminder that our way of life and system of governance is unique and to be cherished. Fair thee well, then!