[Moo] Stafford County's celebration of 400th anniversary of Jamestown

[cwymarc at comcast.net]

Greetings Friends and Neighbors to our North, South, and West,

    Stafford County has invited the Canton of Sudentorre and the SCA to participate in their celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the Settling of Jamestown. It is friday, sat, sunday, August 18, 19, 20, of the last weekend of Pennsic. Oh bad timing on someone's part, but that is when the recreated Godspeed is sailing up the Potamac and dropping anchor off shore at Aquia Landing, where legend has it Pocahontas was tricked onto shipboard and taken captive to Jamestown. The event is targeted for families and children. There will be other historical reenacting groups such as 3 indian tribes, Revolutionary war and Civil war reenactors (this area can't do anything without the Civil War reenacters), Longhunters, Historical societies, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation,and the Mariner's Museum.  Parking is scant at the Park, so Brooke VRE station parking lot will be used and a suttle bus will run between the parking and Aquia Landing Park. 

    We are planning on portraying and interpreting "What the old world was like from whence the early settlers came". We are targeting the year 1600-1610 (+/- a few years). We chose to dress as the middle class, and lower nobility because they were the ones who came, the soldiers, tradesmen, draftsmen, carpenters, and lesser sons of nobility, and we do not wish to swelter in the layers of the high nobility even if we could afford to cloth ourselves as they did. So, we are making and wearing garb in the Elizabethian to James' styles, thinking linen and cotton for the usual heat and humidity of August.    Central to our setup is a tent that we are trying to fill with items and us engaged in activities that help tell the story of what common middle class people and lesser nobility did and how they lived. Viewers can see, have things explained, but won't try to do the stuff there.     
    We have another smaller tent that we wish to set up as a hands on area of come in, sit down, play a game, or dress up in Elizabethian clothing and have your picture taken. Activities will be ongoing throughout the weekend.
    We have 2 carport style tents (though I am searching for a larger period looking tent to borrow for this area) and are compiling a scheduled list of classes for festival goers to come in and learn. Classes so are such as learn to lucet, learn to dance, learn to do blackwork, what were stonemasons doing.... and so forth. I have openings for a few more classes. Hands on types are preferable.
    And I am looking for a 4th tent, maybe a tall round tent, to place behind the other tents to serve as our retreat to rest, nap, and store our mundane stuff such as coolers and food.

   The timing is bad, as it is the last weekend of Pennsic, so help and resources normally available, are not. Besides looking for a larger tent (to hold classes under instead of using 2 carports) and a smaller tall tent for our retreat, we need some more help interpreting what life was like in the late 1500s to early 1600s. In the main tent, we do not have any spinners or weavers yet. Musicians are always welcome. Do any have furnature, toys, rugs, dishes of the target date of 1600 that we could borrow?  If anyone wishes to teach a class or do a talk to teach what life in Europe was like in the early 1600s, I still have some slots open. When we brainstormed, we dream of a class/talk on the history of the rapier/schlager/epee blade and it's rise of use in the late 1500's to early 1600s would be good. So also would a class/talk on the rise of gunpowder use. We can have space for some rapier demonstrations. (We felt that by the 1600s, heavy fighting, and archery are going out a
 nd gun
powder takes precedence).  In the tent of ongoing activities, we can use more gamers of games of that age. Simple toys are also acceptable. Dances, puppet shows, juggling and song would also enliven the area, and can stroll all over the event site. More people attired in garb of the age of Elizabeth and James are also welcome to talk/interact with the festival goers and stroll the site.   

I send this to our closest neighbors, but this can be forwarded on to our friends further afield if you think the intrest is there. Please let me know as soon as you can if any are interested. We have crash spaces available.

--Blitha of Wolfhou
email: TheWolfhou at aol.com
or better yet, call me at (540) 809-6404
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