Why is the medieval period so attractive to "geeks"?

[MrDibble]

@seosamh

I am puzzled. What’s a “Renaissance Fair/Faire/Fayre”? I’ve only ever heard of them through that episode of The Simpsons called “They Saved Lisa’s Brain” - don’t tell me you Americans actually do that sort of thing? I thought it was just a piss-take!!

I reckon that the Mediaeval (correct spelling where I come from) period (a couple of hundred years before the Renaissance, by the way) only appeals to American geeks. Maybe it’s because you don’t have any real mediaeval stuff close to hand, unlike us over here in Europe. Oh, and the cleavages.

So you’ve never heard of the Hastings re-enactment? Or theSealed Knot (a bit late for “Mediaeval”, I know, but of the same kidney).

I know you’ve probably never heard of the Company of Saynte George , as featured on the Lord of the Rings DVDs via their member John Howe.

It’s not just Americans doing it. I know Germany and England is peppered with living history groups that cover a specific year or decade. And there’s SCA membership worldwide. Hell, I’m a member, and I’m in South Africa.

The post-Rome to Rennaissance period is just cool. To me, the question isn’t why geeks are into it. It’s why everyone else isn’t