Carolinas Renaissance Festival

Since we are studying the Medieval period this year, I took the children to the Carolina Renaissance Festival this week. We follow a three- to four-year History cycle--using the fabulous Connecting with History program, I can't recommend highly enough--so this is the second time our homeschool has studied through the Medieval period.

Normally, the Festival is open only on weekends, but it hosts three Student Days, at which the bawdy, inappropriate content is significantly toned down for the younger audience.

(One more benefit to attending a Student Day is that outside food is allowed in, unlike on regular days, and the monetary savings is significant, considering that one turkey leg is $9!)

Nonetheless, as a serious and traditional Catholic, I will offer for others who might share the same concerns that I would attend a Renaissance Festival only by taking numerous prudent steps.

• I probably wouldn't take children older than my oldest son (currently on the cusp of 12) because there is simply so much bawdiness to the degree of outright sexual content.
• I would only attend on a Student Day aimed at elementary students, which this was. (They also offer a student day for middle schoolers and one for high-schoolers, but I cannot imagine my tolerating more than I saw today.)
• I spent at least an hour reading through the list of shows offered and watching previews of them on YouTube, which allowed me to make a list of two-thirds of them that I would not be patronizing no matter what. I knew I needed a plan ahead of time, not when I was walking through the 25 acres of sites, harried, overwhelmed, and keeping track of six children.
• By attending on a cool weather day (it being in the 40s when we first arrived), others' clothing was more modest. As I planned my trip, I searched Google Images and YouTube, so I knew to expect plunging necklines and a lot of bare midriffs and even women (anachronistically) wearing skin tight leather pants with only a brassiere (you think I'm kidding). The cold weather was a blessing because I saw a lot of the actors had put on long shirts underneath their bodices when they would not otherwise.

We restricted ourselves mostly to visiting the historical exhibits and shows, not the entertainment shows, which were often anachronistic. We missed the Lord Mayor's talks due to my being late, but the subjects about real Medieval life sounded fascinating. We got there in time to join our friends (three other families in our group) at the falconry show, which was excellent.

/

We also appreciated visiting the historic actors (real, serious ones, not flibbertigibbets dressing lewdly and playing fantasy) at the Lord Mayor's House showing us how the home arts were done at that time, such as the woman below weaving on a loom--a subject of great interest to John because he is enjoying weaving on a loom this year in his Sacred Art class.

We watched the blacksmith at work and later the glassblower (which Mary says was her favorite).

Then we watched one of the three jousting shows put on that day, a show I had not thought required previewing or investigation.

My friend had attended the jousting show five years ago and remembered that it began with a prayer, as she told me a real joust would have, and there was a long talk given about the fighting of good versus evil.

Eating turkey legs after the jousting

The stands were packed with thousands of people--this was afterward

So, imagine my surprise when four jousting horses emerged and two of them were being ridden by WOMEN, and not ladies wearing Medieval dresses and riding sidesaddle. Oh no. They were wearing men's clothing designed to be skin tight and sultry on a woman. I was offended on behalf of my children, and simply as someone who hates historic anachronisms. How many women are strong enough to wear armor that I read weighed up to 110 pounds, or to carry the 15-foot-long lance? While these two women did not end up jousting (and, indeed, I can't imagine they could have), then why come out dressed for jousting? What were they prancing about for? Eye candy? There are many historically accurate that a horse-loving woman could do, but jousting isn't one of them.

We rode ponies and a DaVinci flying machine kind of thing, but didn't make our way to the camel rides this time.

The boys eagerly ran off with one of the parents in our group to test their strength while the rest of us watched a demonstration.

Joseph testing his strength

John testing his strength

The juggling act we attended was wonderfully done and I reflected on what were likely thousands of hours over many years that these men practice their craft. No, they're not life-saving surgeons or some such highly respected career, but they bring joy to lives every week and that deserves respect.

My reflection (and subsequent talk to the kids) was prompted by some student hecklers in the audience who moved beyond gentle ribbing to obnoxious, shouting insults that endured through the show (about how lame their juggling was). No teacher or chaperone corrected them, those kids think it's acceptable to speak to adults that way, and their parents will never know what happened.

In fact, my children noticed a difference in behavior that made them uncomfortable and me sad. Numerous times throughout the day, school children pointed, stared, snickered, and made teasing commentary out loud about my children dressed up (which, as I know but they must not have known, is the fun, typical "thing to do" when attending a Renaissance Festival). My children went from innocently being thrilled to dress up that day to feeling really uncomfortable that they had--and that made this Mama Bear mad.

I heard several times school children commenting loudly, "This is boooooring" in the face of the exhibitor or act. How jaded, how calloused, at the ripe old age of sixth grade.

And my seven-year-old told me only on the drive home (or Mama Bear would have ROARED) that while she was sitting in the bleachers, two teenaged girls sitting behind her were pulling on her braid and laughing at her repeatedly. My Margaret is way too sensitive and shy to have spoken up, so she endured it and told me hours later. How pathetic are teenagers who are so bored at a jousting event  that they must further entertain themselves by taunting a little seven-year-old?

My children have actually remained somewhat mystified at times why we are so wary of institutional school settings and their long-term effects. They meet individual "school kids" who are perfectly nice, of course, and they ask me what the problem is. This day was the first time they were surrounded by thousands of kids from public and private, all institutional, schools, and they really had a lot of negative commentary to share with me on the drive home.

I reflected back on what I felt was a "Holy Ghost moment" as we first arrived and were standing in line for tickets. A grey-haired lady in the next line over said to me, apropos of nothing, "I used to do what you're doing." What was that? She told me how she had homeschooled her children and taught them history just like I'm doing (gave lots of examples, and she was right!). Her husband had died suddenly and her children's first question upon the news was, "Does this mean you will have to go to work and stop homeschooling us?" No, the mother had assured, she would keep homeschooling "because God will provide for us." Her children are grown now (and she was there leading a group of school children whom she now teaches) and she said, "God does provide. You will NEVER regret homeschooling those children. God provides! God provides!"

What a beautiful nudge for me.

We were all exhausted after we closed out the Festival for the day, my kids telling me "It was the best day of our lives!" I just wished I could pass out asleep like my children did, but somebody had to drive the hour home!