Living History
In an effort to create a realistic impression of life in the periods we cover, Anmod Dracan has assembled a diversity of crafts and skills painstakingly researched. All the craft displays must be appropriate to the period, site, and the theme of the display, e.g.
a Viking Merchant's encampment, the Court of King Richard I, a Celtic Trade Camp, or else the whole impression would somehow ring false, thus members of the society have been appointed to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of the whole.
Our displays include such crafts as the complex textile skills of Spinning, Tablet Weaving
and Embroidery, as well as including talks on cloth manufacture, importation and dyeing,
giving insight into the clothing and fashions of the period, as well as the
reasons behind many of the fashions of the period portrayed.
The casting of molten Pewter into period accurate moulds takes place. Period
accurate Jewellery, amulets, and adornments made to the delight of children for whom everything is normally mass produced, unseen in factories.
Leather is skillfully crafted into Shoes, Pouches, and belts, in the styles of the period and
using the tools and materials which were available then.
Wood is worked, not just for the fires so necessary for cooking, but to provide furniture
and housing, all adorned lovingly in the proper styles for the presented period.
The food prepared must be properly researched, it would destroy the whole image if a Viking,
for example, as a part of a display, were to provide a meal containing Potatoes or
sweet corn, foods that wouldn't be discovered for hundreds of years, instead both documentary
and archaeological evidence is sought to provide a proper balance of materials, although
such research may sound tedious, where would be the point in doing something if you aren't
prepared to do it right?
Recipes and Menus for the events are then added to the more information section
of the pages accessed from the
Show List page and copies of some of the recipes are
also available printed for those who would like to give a little medieval
cooking a try.
Within the scope of the displays, there is not unnaturally, the need to demonstrate the
armourers skills in making both weapons, and body protection, a skill which requires a
blend of panel beater and tailor.
Skills and traditional crafts such as Agriculture, Hunting, Fishing, Sailing and Navigation
are presented on request as talks supported by the proper tools, alongside Story Telling,
discussions on Religion, Trade, Raid, and Settlement, in order to give the audience a full
picture of life in the past.
Anmod Dracan makes every effort to ensure the consistency of the displays, whether in the
area of Combat, or general Life, creating a lasting impression of the attitudes,
styles and fashions of the period.
Combat Display - Description and pictures
of the combat displays.
Show List - This years show dates and venues.
Membership - How to join in our displays
Booking Us - How to contact us and other groups for events
Gallery 1 - Pictures from our displays.
Video Gallery - seven video tasters of our events.
Children spend the day learning the skills that they would need for the future, but also
find the time to
enjoy playing games, and generally making a nuisance of themselves as they have throughout history.