Quote Originally Posted by tripleblessed View Post
Yes, period accuracy is important for reenactors, HOWEVER, Nighthawk is on more than firm ground. By the early 17th century Scots were already leaving
to serve in the military in far-flung places, sailors traveled far and wide and brought home all sorts of things to wear and share. And let us not forget Viking runes of a style not used after the 5th century were found on a stele in
Missouri. Not to mention Roman coins in the wampum belts of the Choctaw,
and the very interesting fact that copper mined in the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan was found sealed up in the pyramids. While not widespread, cultural
interaction did occur, and with it trade and souvenirs.
There is a difference between the "quasi-crypto-history" as seen on Discovery TV, and which is often conjured up out of a producer's hat, and "living history" or "reenacted history" which carries with it the underlying responsibility of having to be 100% historically accurate, not merely interpreted to suit the whim of the reenactor.

Yes, cultural interaction did occur. But simply because there were winged lancers in Poland in the 17th century doesn't mean that someone portraying a mounted Scottish soldier of the same period should show up with wings and a lance, even though cultural interaction may have made a 17th century Scot aware of Polish lancers. The purpose of "living history" is to portray the norm, not the aberration, and certainly not the imagined aberration of the reenactor.

That said, it is "anything goes" at renn-faires and SCA events, where the emphasis is on the participants having a good time, rather than providing the general public with an accurate representation of the renaissance or the historic middle ages.