“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”

Marcel Proust

Spanning from the 14th to the 17th century, the Renaissance was a historical period in European history characterized by its humanism, artistic and scientific advancement, and the rediscovery of classical Roman and Greek philosophies. The Renaissance occurred in the wake of the Bubonic Plague commonly known as the Black Death which decimated a large portion of the population all over Europe. Close daily encounters with death triggered a reassessment of life and consequently a shift in world view in 14th-century Florence, Italy, where the Renaissance originated. This shift in perspective resulted in a cultural movement known as Renaissance humanism. Humanist education was based on the study of five humanities: poetry, grammar, history, moral philosophy and rhetoric.

Pieter Bruegel’s The Triumph of Death (c. 1562)

We embarked on a voyage early on a grey, cool, misty morning in late October to try to rediscover the characteristics of this late medieval life in a 16th-century English village erected right outside an Ohio village called Waynesville. This village itself was first laid out in 1796 by the Quakers and was named after General “Mad” Anthony Wayne. General Anthony Wayne was a senior officer of first the Continental Army and then the US Army. He was considered a founding father of the United States. He was known for his leadership in many campaigns in the Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War.

The Ohio Renaissance Festival was only open on the weekends between August 31st and October 27th. Each weekend had a cultural theme such as Highland Weekend, Time Travelers Weekend or Viking Weekend. We went there on Trick or Treat Weekend and were treated to some fantastic costumes worn by other festival goers. Beyond the entrance to the festival, we were immediately greeted by the silhouette of the Ring Wraith from the Lord of the Rings.

One of our favorite costumes was the Big Bad Wolf disguised as Grandmother and accompanied by the Little Red Riding Hood. Another of my personal favorite was a man dressed as Luigi accompanied by his little daughter dressed as the Princess.

The reigning monarch during this historical period in England was Queen Elizabeth I. “She” and her entourage made a parade and some stops while we were there.

Buhurt

Buhurt means Historical Medieval Battles or Armored Combat — a modern full contact fighting sport. The fighters wear medieval armor and use steel blunt weapons characteristic of the Middle Ages. Both aemor and weapons are regulated on historical authenticity. David and Jacob had discovered Buhurt on Youtube several months ago and Jacob was very keen on seeing the fighting in person. The Buhurt tournament at Ohio Renaissance Festival was organized and conducted by the Cincinnati Barbarians.

Happy Rediscovering!