NEW ENGLAND became Olde England at the Armidale Pine Forest over the weekend, as 400 people immersed themselves in the Middle Ages for the New England Medieval Arts Society (NEMAS) Easter Gathering.
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The eighth biannual event attracted enthusiasts from across Australia, New Zealand and as far away as
England.
The gathering was closed to non-participants, with all
attendees required to dress in period costumes and conceal any anachronistic items in order to retain an
authentic atmosphere during the weekend.
The re-enactors dressed
as Byzantines, Normans, Saxons, Vikings and other groups who lived in Europe during the Dark Ages from
600-1100 AD.
NEMAS secretary Annie Snodgrass Scott said the
weekend was a great success.
“It was extremely successful,
everyone had a lot of fun and really got involved in it,” she said.
“The weather was great to us as well. There wasn’t a
drop of rain all weekend.”
The fire show and archery proved to be the
most popular events at the gathering, as well as the
holmgang tournament, a one-on-one armed duel. The tournament was won by a local member of NEMAS.
NEMAS cwene Liina Flynn said planning was already
underway for the next gathering, due to take place in
2014.
“As soon as this year’s event ended, we started
planning for the next one,”she said.
“There were a lot of first timers here who are very
interested in coming back next time.”
