Historical

October 30, 2024

While modern audiences might turn to haunted houses, horror films, and ghost tours for a chilling thrill, the Tudors of 16th-century England had their own methods of indulging in fear. During the reign of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, the world was rife with superstition, religion, folklore, and a fascination with the macabre. Let’s dive […]

July 24, 2024

Fashion is cyclical. Common knowledge states that fashion recycles roughly every twenty years, but perhaps they’re underestimating the annals of historic clothing. During the 2020 pandemic, we experienced a surge of iconic trends such as fairycore, cottagecore, and even royaltycore. Four years later, that love seems to have reached the runway as a resurgence of […]

April 10, 2024

Following the death of her less-than-popular half-sister, Queen Mary I, Elizabeth Tudor ascended the throne in 1559 and became Queen Elizabeth I, Gloriana Regina, the sovereign queen of England and Ireland. Almost immediately following this momentous occasion came the inevitable question posed to every monarch sooner or later, but most especially Queens who ruled alone: […]

December 6, 2023

With two weeks left of Yuletide Village, many of us are excited to celebrate the midwinter season with our holiday of choice. Family traditions often go back generations, connecting with cultural expectations throughout the world and adding a sense of familiar comfort to the festivities. However, if you’re looking to bring a bit of the […]

November 15, 2023

These days, most of us don’t till the soil ourselves. We don’t raise the turkeys or dredge cranberries out of a bog. But to those of our past who did this as a matter of survival, it only made sense to give thanks for the abundance that would keep them and their families alive. It’s […]

November 8, 2023

Forget freezers and canned goods. We live in an era where robots can bring food right to your table and your fridge can keep inventory and let you know when you run out of milk. We add preservatives to food to keep it shelf stable for longer, and we don’t feel as dependent on the […]

November 1, 2023

A (Very) Brief History of Low Comedy When looking back at the long tradition of ren faire entertainment, comedy comes in as the most prolific category. Whether it’s the bawdy aesthetic, the pageantry of color and sound, or the fact that we’re all walking around speaking in the accent of a country we fought a […]

October 25, 2023

With Halloween fast approaching, and Trick or Treat Weekend at the Ohio Renaissance Festival just around the corner, all sorts of shrieks and screams are waiting for you to enjoy! As we participate in this modern season of the supernatural, do you ever wonder what the Elizabethans believed in? Did they have a love for […]

October 18, 2023

Wel folowing his maistre and doyng whatever he hym commandeth, he shuld be good and kyndly and clene, glad and joyful and playeng, wel willyng and goodly to all maner folkes save to the wild beestis. 14th century quote as to the mannerisms expected of dogs In the Elizabethan world as well as modern times, […]

October 11, 2023

When it comes to the myriad of musicians at renaissance festivals, the talent displayed is overwhelming. You have people who have dedicated their lives to the romanticized notion of a wandering bard bringing their music from town to town and spreading joy like a guitar strumming Johnny Appleseed. With all this skill, it’s strange to […]