It is sometimes said (be careful cliché) that old stones tell stories (yes, it’s a cliché, but we warned you). But sometimes, and in this case in many places open this weekend on the occasion of
Heritage Days, it is humans, not at all old, who will tell the story.
A time old-fashioned by low-level shows, historical reconstructions have been experiencing a new lease of life in recent years. Three years after the end of the commemorations of the Great War and in the middle of the year of Napoleon, the general public had many opportunities to discover these enthusiasts of period costume who recreates scenes – often battles – historical.
Viking landing
But in recent years, other historical periods – older – have been explored such as the Gallic and Roman eras or the long centuries of the Middle Ages. Each troop is interested in a specific period, the Ambiani or the association
Contoutos Atrebate (Gallic War of the Gauls) therefore have nothing to do with the
Legion VIII Augusta, a Roman legion of the 1st century of our era, and even less with the very very numerous troops of Viking reenactments.
“There is a growing taste for ancient times”, notes Thibaut hycarius, which practices historical reconstruction and talks about it on its many networks, starting with its very popular
Applied History YouTube channel, the
first of its kind in France. “In recent years there has been an increase in films and historical series, or those which refer to a fantasized past, such as Game Of Thrones. All it took was a rather popular series on the Vikings for the troops to multiply… ”But the historical reenactment associations did not hear HBO to grow.
Conquering museums
With these associations, whose existence often dates back to the 1990s, the troupes have emerged from simple old folklore. “The historical reconstruction has gained in seriousness by working with researchers and museums. Living history has become one of their mediation cards, ”explains Thibaut Hycarius.
An opinion shared by Laure Barthet, director of
Saint-Raymond Museum, in Toulouse, herself a reconstitute since she was 13: “The two worlds finally communicate and interpenetrate. There is a generation of museum professionals who are also reenactors. In terms of mediation, having a historical reconstruction troop in your museum or on your historic site is to open the doors of paradise! Living history is always a hit. We break the distance with objects and with historical material. We establish a direct, real link. “
Draw the sword of knowledge
“There is a very tenacious cliché about the weight of medieval swords,” says Laure Barthet, for example. To convey the message that they were easy to handle and light, the easiest thing is to stick one in the hands of visitors. And there is an epiphany. The public realizes that it is a remarkable technological object. “
“Frankly, manipulating objects, it always works, adds Thibaut Hycarius. Anyone can find something in the story that inspires them, interests them, makes them want to learn! Humans are naturally curious, they just need to press the right button. “
But beware, there are good and bad reenactors. “It’s an environment that has its codes, its principles, its chapels,” explains Laure Barthet. And, as a museum professional, you have to frame the demand and know the troops. There are reenactors who have great gear and great costumes but who are marbles in mediation. On the contrary, there are associations capable of providing a very good show, which know how to manage different audiences, but which will be less serious on the scientific level. “
The culture tout
Among the associations particularly valued by museums and institutions for the quality of their work, there are the Ambiani, specialists in Gaul at the end of our era and elite historical reenactment troop. “It is not an environment which has very fixed rules, there are several procedures, but more and more the troops are moving towards very precise, very documented reconstruction”, explains Manon Tibout, treasurer of Ambiani.
“With us, the process is a reconstruction for the purpose of mediation,” continues Thomas Dunais, president of the association. I often use a metaphor: reconstruction is touting for culture. We are the flashing neon, we have a spectacle dimension. The aim is to bring history, culture, archeology, etc. into the store. “
Learn by typing
Once hooked, the audience must remember something. This is where the partnership with the curators of museums or historical monuments takes on its full meaning. Once you’ve had fun tapping on the Roman legionary’s helmet, you have to listen …
“We rely on informal education, we teach people without realizing it,” explains Thomas Dunais. People need to repeat the same things in order to understand and remember. Reconstruction is often a reformulation of information given in the museum. “
Debates on cross stitch
If the re-enactors know how to do pedagogical work so well, it is because they themselves had to wrestle with a load of historical knowledge to achieve their ends. “Access to sources has changed,” explains Thomas Dunais. Today it is easier to obtain archaeological excavation reports. This documentation gives us food for thought! We are a very competitive environment, we always want to have access to the best information to make the most precise costumes… ”
“We are still talking about people capable of taking the cabbage for hours on the type of stitch to make on a tunic depending on the time, the social status of the character we want to play …”, laughs Laure. Barthet.
But the reconstruction is not necessarily a work of millimeter precision. As Thibaut Hycarius says: “There are two guys in Corsica who cut a monoxyl canoe with Neolithic axes. In stone then. In two days, from a tree trunk, they can get you a canoe four meters long, super stable! “
Deontology of the reconstitution
For Thibaut Hycarius, “in reality, the reconstruction is an excuse to learn… For us reconstructors, there is a huge phase of research, like an investigation, before we launch into the manufacture of costumes and objects. We need to have the most precise image possible of what we want to recreate. “
The reenactor specializing in medieval weapons even explains that there is a form of deontology for the reenactor: “We have to be careful with the public during our outings. The power of the image is very strong. A historical reconstruction stays in people’s heads much more than a museum text, for example. We need to be very transparent about our doubts. When we do mediation, we clearly say what we are sure of, what we do not know, and what we have doubts about. “
Eureka (crossbow ring)
Sometimes, especially when it is accompanied by researchers or scientific institutions, the historical reconstruction thus approaches the field of experimental archeology. For example, Thibaut Hycarius has developed a work around 13th century crossbows with ballisticians, forensic scientists… “It’s different from my work of historical reconstruction, it’s a long process of scientific research in its own right. But thanks to that, we were able to understand, for example, how to hold the projectile when we shoot down, in the event of a siege. We have understood this by dint of trials. “
Many historical re-enactors dream of being able to work with scientists to go further than making costumes. “This requires a strict protocol, it takes time and money, tempers Laure Barthet. However, these troupes are made up of amateurs and this passion is very costly. I’d rather not imagine the money I’ve invested in my 13th century warrior outfits over the past few years… ”