> > Like Maryam, I too get slightly irked at fantasy garb at the RenFair. People milling about in thier 21st Century clothing is fine, people making an attempt to wear period clothing, fine; people wearing wings or shoulder dragons or little horns in their hair? Eh. But that doesn't bug me as much as people wearing period and smoking.

Most of the reasons people have Renaissance Faires *are* fantasy, though. It's just a mishmash of whatever people like to think was worn in some haphazard Ye Olden Tyme, which seems to span anything from about 800 to 1700. It'll always owe more to fantasy books and sword-and-sorcery movies than to history, let alone the Renaissance.

Alternately, you could say it *is* historically accurate, in that it represents the world ordinary people of the Middle Ages actually believed in. They *knew* there were fire-breathing enchanters and winged guys and werewolves. It wasn't something you believed or disbelieved, it was just the way the world was, whether or not you ever personally saw one.

So it's a noble effort to bring objective reality into line with perceived reality. Or it's because people like an excuse to dress up in silly costumes. Does that help?

Either way, it sounds like one of the time-and-reality messups Sapphire and Steel had to stop, armed only with '80s hair and a really horrible grey suit. If anyone except me remembers that series.

Brunnen-"ah, weird TV shows. My favourite topic"G