Best. Costume. Ever.

I have a favorite event that I enjoy this time of year. Yes, my birthday is in August, and that is fun, but that's not it. Halloween is coming in a month, but that's not it either... I am talking, of course, about the Renaissance Festival!

Every year, we get to step back in time to a more simple period. A period of sword fighting, of jousting, huge tankards of mead in one hand and a large turkey leg in the other. How fun to walk around and admire the people dressed in period clothing: large-bosomed women showing off their ample endowments, and men in chain mail, leather, and capes. Swordsmen and princesses, jesters and wenches.

Of course, I am reminded many times that I know nothing about the Renaissance. I had assumed that the Renaissance was a cultural movement resulting in fundamental changes in art and mathematics. The only math and art I saw, however, was a sign on which all of the $5 items had been changed to $6 with a blue pen. $6 for a bowl of soup? Not very Renaissancey if you ask me...

But I digress.

What I apparently did not know was the amazingly wide variety of couture available during that time. Some of my favorite recreations included:

1. A Wizard. Dressed in full regalia, complete with Gandolfish hat. I wasn't sure if he was from the Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter Renaissance eras, though. it was tough to tell. He did have a very cool looking pipe...


2. A large group of girls in Capri pants, t-shirts, tennis shoes, and of course, duchess hats.


3. Many different guys wearing boots, jeans, some sort of death-metal t-shirt, and a cape. I seriously had no idea that death metal originated during the Renaissance, but we are discovering of course that I know very little...


4. A young man had a couple of newly created Samurai swords. Again, forgive my lack of Renaissance knowledge, but...
   
   
   
   1. Um... Samurai swords? In a recreation of an English Renaissance village?
   2. The handle and sheaths seemed to be made of pine. Plain pine. No decorations.
   3. Aren't you supposed to go through rigorous training and be ready to kill yourself for your cause before you are given a Samurai sword? He had TWO!!
   
   
5. Not one single person dressed as Robin Hood. NOT ONE! I was so disappointed


6. It was Pirate weekend. Ok, sure... pirates existed at the same time... but so did Pilgrims, and I didn't see a single person dressed as a pilgrim! But, I did see...


7. ... a pirate werewolf!!! Yes, people, it is true. They DO exist. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a picture, but rest assured, although it looked like a bad werewolf mask and gloves, with bare arms and legs, shorts, t-shirt, and tennis shoes, I assure you it was a pirate werewolf! The pirate hat was the giveaway.

Ok, sure, Kelly and I had a good time. No turkey leg or mead for me this time, and there is the arrow-shooting incident that I do NOT want to talk about, but I did get my Master Marksman certifications in the axe-throwing and ninja-star throwing competitions. Yes, apparently lumberjacks and ninjas were also a part of the Renaissance.

I really need to take a History class.