Virtual Medieval Gathering

[medievalrosalie]

It's a well-known fact that re-enactors are a hardy bunch and take a lot of slowing down. If they get an idea into their heads, there's not much which will dissuade them for making it happen. Global pandemic? Pah! Certainly it won't stop us from having an Easter camping holiday together! Only, not together. Let me explain.

Obviously, the Covid crisis meant that no real camping could take place over the Easter break, and it's all fine and dandy to have a series of great online talks and presentations... but it's not really the same as camping. Actually camping and sitting around a fire under the stars.

Virtual Medieval Gathering. Campsite at home.

At some point, someone decided that they would camp. Erect a tent. Make the bed. get out all their favourite medieval things and camp anyway. Actually camp at home under the stars. And as the movement grew, more and more people said, "Yeah, I'll join you, only at my house!" Quite frankly, I felt that going to all that effort and still being alone would be even more isolating than not doing it. To be without friends around the fire and think of what we were all missing. A good idea... but... I was feeling too alone and secretly felt that it was probably different for those camping in their family groups. Definitely worth the effort if there was more than one of you. For me? 

As twilight fell on Easter Friday, medievalists, re-enactors and living historians raised their tents and lit their fires. On verandahs.  On patios. In courtyards. On lawns amongst the shrubbery. People posted their photos to the Virtual Medieval Gathering and sent greetings from household to household and camp to camp. My heart lifted. We weren't camping alone. We shared the same sky and the same stars. We were sharing our passion and it was our way of saying that it takes more than a pandemic to stop us doing what we love. 

On Saturday night, the Virtual Tavern kicked up with musicians and performers for those of us camping out. I, too, lit my fire and sent my greetings online to my fellow campers. How could I have thought that I would be alone just because we weren't together? Somehow, knowing that we were all doing it together made it okay. 

History nerds are the best people.

Comments

[sister-raphael.livejournal.com]

[sister-raphael.livejournal.com]

That looks like it was fun. Did you do it both nights?

[medievalrosalie.livejournal.com]

I didn't set up on the Friday night and then instantly regretted it when the camp photos starting going online. I set up really early Saturday and hung out in it for a lot of the day. I did my talk inside as the lighting and sound was better, but sat around the fire for hours Saturday night. It was so great.