#104 "Medieval Plainsong, Establishing a Camp Kitchen, Marriage Medieval Style"

Marriage, Medieval Style at Lake Bled
“Na zdravje! To your good health!” enthuses the monk as he swiftly swings his sword upwards to slice open the wedding couple’s giant champagne bottle. The lady of the castle, elegantly adorned in a medieval gown, collects the cut-off bottle neck, cork still intact, and hands it to the newlyweds as a symbolic gift. As the monk’s sword is placed back in its scabbard, celebratory champagne flows atop one of the world’s most spectacular medieval fairytale settings: Bled Castle in Slovenia.

Establishing a Camp Kitchen
A completely period encampment can be an important part of your faire or weekend experience. Maintaining a period encampment is neither as expensive nor difficult as you may think, and a great place to start is the camp kitchen. Developing a camp kitchen is actually one of the easier aspects of the reenactment hobby, and provides a lot of return on even a small investment. This issue shows you how to get started.

Medieval Plainsong
Imagine a solemn procession of monks entering a cathedral to celebrate their patron saint. They carry holy relics and swing censers, and the music they chant echoes through the stone walls of the church. The entire service, from opening prayers to biblical readings, including every part of the mass and the divine office, is not spoken but sung. This music is plainsong, a collection of chants based on a single melodic line used in the liturgy, or traditional worship services, of the Roman Catholic Church. Renaissance Magazine writers will fill you in on its origins, and its development through the middle ages.