Why so serious?

[Semiomniscient]

Highland Games are "historically themed events"?!

Sure they are, culture and history go hand in hand. Many of us who are American are acknowledging our personal histories and tying it in to a larger history and culture. So yes, they are certainly historically themed events.

[Zardoz]

I got over worrying about "historically acurate" garb at renfaire years ago, and never even thought about worrying about how the patrons might dress at a Highland games. Like Bob, I never carry any big iron as part of my renfaire kit anymore, that stuff is just heavy, and gets in the way all the time. But I will say it's great to live in a free land where you can drag it around if you want to!

But honstly, I figure its a good thing if folks want to do something creative to get into the spirit of faire or games. I wouldn't want to discourage it, even if it maybe they didn't really "fit in". Face it, it's likely better looking than the baggy cargo shorts and crocs they might wear otherwise!

I seem to be in a lot of groups that have this sort of issue! I recall we had some folks from the Texas Renassiance Fest performance cast come to our local Sci-fi convention here in Houston to promote the faire. I thought it was nice, as I see a lot of cross-over of Sci-Fi with the 'fantasy' of faire, and many folks I know really get into both, but there were actually people there at the con who thought it was "inappropriate" to mix ren-faire with Sci-Fi! Nothing like a 40 year old man in a Harry Potter school uniform saying some faries, princesses and elves are inappropriate at a Sci-Fi con! It all led to infinitely boring discussions that evening where I found myself hearing and using words like parachronism or prochronism or chronological anomaly, which nobody should have to say unless their gonna be graded on it !

[Semiomniscient]

I got over worrying about "historically acurate" garb at renfaire years ago, and never even thought about worrying about how the patrons might dress at a Highland games. Like Bob, I never carry any big iron as part of my renfaire kit anymore, that stuff is just heavy, and gets in the way all the time. But I will say it's great to live in a free land where you can drag it around if you want to!

But honstly, I figure its a good thing if folks want to do something creative to get into the spirit of faire or games, so I wouldn't want to discourage it. It's better than showing up in the baggy cargo shorts and crocs they might wear otherwise!

I seem to be in a lot of groups that have this sort of issue! I recall we had some folks from the Texas Renassiance Fest performance cast come to our local Sci-fi convention here in Houston to promote the faire. I thought it was nice, as I see a lot of cross-over of Sci-Fi with the 'fantasy' of faire, and many folks I know really get into both, but there were actually people there at the con who thought it was "inappropriate" to mix ren-faire with Sci-Fi! Nothing like a 40 year old man in a Harry Potter school uniform saying some faries, princesses and elves are inappropriate at a Sci-Fi con! It all led to infinitely boring discussions that evening where I found myself hearing and using words like parachronism or prochronism or chronological anomaly, which nobody should have to say unless their gonna be graded on it !

Well sheesh!
My thing is that Highland Games aren't Ren Faires and my ancestors and my personal family history isn't a fantasy game to escape the daily struggles of life. I'm all for Ren Faires being Ren Faires... but cultural gatherings should be just that.

[Zardoz]

I'll try to be more serious at the next Highland games !

[Tobus]

I've always chosen not to carry large weapons even to the Renn Faire; I'm not there to compete in the tourney. I usually carry some sort of sgian dubh equivalent to eat my lunch with. Who want's to carry a sword around all day anyway?

Bob

I don't know if other Ren fests are this way, but the Texas Renaissance Festival no longer allows exposed blades. They make you "safety tie" any blade (even a sgian dubh, I think) in its sheath.

My younger brother used to go every year dressed up in some kind of Medieval costume, carrying one of his huge swords. But due to this policy, he no longer has any desire to attend.

[Zardoz]

I don't know if other Ren fests are this way, but the Texas Renaissance Festival no longer allows exposed blades. They make you "safety tie" any blade (even a sgian dubh, I think) in its sheath.

My younger brother used to go every year dressed up in some kind of Medieval costume, carrying one of his huge swords. But due to this policy, he no longer has any desire to attend.

bascally every faire that allows swords requires them to be "peace tied". But nobody has ever been asked to tie a sgain dubh at TRF.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I think, though, that some people are under the assumption that a Scottish Festival and Highland Games event is the place for fantasy reenactment (which I separate from historical reenactment). Just like people who show up to a Renaissance festival in a Storm Trooper outfit, they are kind of making it into a circus-like atmosphere. And while most Renaissance festivals, it seems, have turned into a circus-like atmosphere anyway, I would like to think that Scottish festivals and Highland Games events would be a little more on the serious and respectful side. The difference being that Ren fests are tailored more towards fantasy reenactment while Scottish festivals and Highland Games are more for celebrating a specific culture.

That said, I would like to see more accurate and historical reenactment stuff at Highland Games. And by that, I mean official events or displays, not just random dudes walking around in their costumes.

Couldn't agree more.

[Semiomniscient]

I'll try to be more serious at the next Highland games !

;-) Just be who you are and not your "character".

[Zardoz]

Well sheesh!
My thing is that Highland Games aren't Ren Faires and my ancestors and my personal family history isn't a fantasy game to escape the daily struggles of life. I'm all for Ren Faires being Ren Faires... but cultural gatherings should be just that.

I see a couple of similarities between Highland games and renfaire, but not as cultural events, it's about the attitude of some of the partrons.

I really think/ hope that everybody at a Highland games, Burn's Supper, Tartan Day , or most any other Celtic themed event is there to have fun and escape the daily struggles of life. But I know that there are some folks there that are failing to have fun because the are taking the whole thing too seriously. At faire it's the 'garb nazis' running around pointing out what they see as 'non-period'. And it seems we have some of the same attitude in the Highland games world too, 'kilt police' notwithstanding!

Really, the thing folks do at Celtic events I find most annoying is bicker about the clan feuds their ancestors might have had 400 years ago! Listening to somebody who's last name happens to be MacDonald fume about everybody that walks by wearing a Campbell tartan is just sad to me, so indeed, why so serious!

[Semiomniscient]

I see a couple of similarities between Highland games and renfaire, but not as cultural events, it's about the attitude of some of the partrons.

I really think/ hope that everybody at a Highland games, Burn's Supper, Tartan Day , or most any other Celtic themed event is there to have fun and escape the daily struggles of life. But I know that there are some folks there that are failing to have fun because the are taking the whole thing too seriously. At faire it's the 'garb nazis' running around pointing out what they see as 'non-period'.

And it seems we have some of the same attitude in the Highland games world too, 'kilt police' notwithstanding! Really, the thing folks do at Celtic events I find most annoying is bicker about the clan feuds their ancestors might have had 400 years ago! Listening to somebody who's last name happens to be MacDonald fume about everybody that walks be wearing a Campbell tartan is just sad to me, so indeed, why so serious!

Oh, no. I see what you mean. I guess I just don't think life ends at the weekend and that's "play time". It's all part of who I am and not some fiction I want to play out. Now, I love acting, and I guess it all has its place... but I prefer myself and enjoying things not pretending to be what I'm not. I think some of this might bleed over into the idea that some aren't comfortable in a kilt and play a character so that they cover their anxiety.