Historical European Festivals and Fairs

**Catrau** · 04-25-2012, 06:29 PM

Mercado Medieval de Óbidos, Portugal

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**Catrau** · 04-25-2012, 06:56 PM

Romanorum Dies (Roman Days) in Odrinhas (Sintra), Portugal

**~~Vixen~~** · 04-25-2012, 07:15 PM

I voted for Medieval. I´m fascinated by the Middle Ages.
Very lovely photos and videos by the way, Catrau.

**~~GeistFaust~~** · 04-25-2012, 07:21 PM

A Medieval fair would be my favorite to go to, because of the vibrancy, richness, and protean shiftiness of the Medieval period. I don't care much for the overtly religious aspect of the Medieval period, but if you look closely the Middle Ages was less religious than it appeared to be on the surface. There were a lot of creative and imaginative energies in the Medieval period, which centered on the life of the peasant, warrior, and king, and this rigid class system, but it was also anticipating on the secularization, social/cultural progression, and political/economical advancements that were underway.

This "liberal" element which was beginning to unfold and uncover itself in the the dynamics of the evolutionary processes of history as contained in the Medieval period though had a strong orientation towards conservative and traditional values, which I think people in the modern age ought to strive for.

Their was also an organic and volkish romanticism that was involved in this age, which focused on the individual in the collection of the masses, and the masses in powerful individuals, which I think gives the Medieval age a great blend of folklore, class/social dichotomy, and a vision for a new Europe, which would blend these elements into a more liberal framework.

**Catrau** · 04-25-2012, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by GeistFaust

...I don't care much for the overtly religious aspect of the Medieval period, but if you look closely the Middle Ages was less religious than it appeared to be on the surface.

...which I think gives the Medieval age a great blend of folklore, class/social dichotomy, and a vision for a new Europe, which would blend these elements into a more liberal framework.

Nice post, thank you for your contribution.
It seems that you've already philosophized about this issue.

From what I've seen, the religious element in a Medieval Fair/Festival/Market isn't much present if it is at all. During this festivals that last for several days, there are some fixed elements and those are the shops. Many people live on these festivals during the summer. It's not uncommon to see some of the tents/shops in several fairs in Iberia. These shops sell items related with the past and many handicrafts. Then you have shows that are different every day and usually you have to pay to see. Every day has a theme on a particular historical event during which you'll have an assault on a Moorish castle or a battle. So as you see, the religious element isn't present, at the most, you'll have some priests or monks as "passing bye" actors.

During the day usually there are traditional music groups and dances, for example in Portugal and in Spain you'll have drums and pipes and eventually some old fashioned guitars, eventually you'll see a Moorish belly dancer.

Originally Posted by GeistFaust

There were a lot of creative and imaginative energies in the Medieval period, which centered on the life of the peasant, warrior, and king, and this rigid class system...

There are historians that say that, in Iberia, during the Moorish occupation, a new class "people" emerged in the southern land occupied by the Moors. Apparently farmers could have their own lands and sell their products while in the north the same farmers were much more tied up to their Christian landlords. They would rent the land, pay the tribute to the landlord and the taxes to the king and could be called to help the king in the battles against the Moors... they had a harder life.

I agree with you, no doubt this time window (Medieval ages) really played a very important role in what we are today and I'm especially thinking about culture (language) and folk.

Personally I also like very much the pre-roman era, there are some very nice festivals like the one Labaru showed in his home Cantabria called "Guerras Cantabras".

Guerras Cantabras in Los Corrales de Buelna - Cantabria, Spain

**Mordid** · 04-25-2012, 09:41 PM

I voted musical because I love listening to music.

**Catrau** · 04-25-2012, 10:23 PM

1809 French invasion of Portugal.
Recreation of the Portuguese Defense of the Amarante Bridge during the Peninsular War, Portugal

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1811 Bicentennial Recreation of the Battle of Foz do Arouce opposing Portuguese and French forces during the Peninsular War. Lousã (Coimbra), Portugal

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1810 Recreation of the battle for Almeida during the Peninsular War.
The Battle of the Coa was a skirmish in which the Anglo-Portuguese forces had to withdrew and a French siege of Almeida followed .

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**~~GeistFaust~~** · 04-25-2012, 10:30 PM

The religious element is an integrable part of the Medieval European culture, and there is nothing intrinsically wrong about that, because the Church had a lot of positive things to contribute. The problem is they dominated the cultural and political scene of Europe, and shaped its consciousness of self, which led to it not being able to develop a true and authentic identity.

A few people will tell you that the Medieval cultural and political identity evolved alongside and in colloboration with the religious components of the Medieval age in so far as it pertains to the Church. The Church did integrate some cultural and political components, but they had too much control over the political and volkish scene in European affairs.

That said the volkish structure as it pertains to the peasants in European culture were largely separated and distant from the hierarchy of the Church, and the local friars and clergymen were an integrable part of their volkish structure, despite the fact they involved themselves in the affairs of the Church.

It was the over controlling and lack of a firm distinction between the church and state in the Medieval period, which led to movements such as the Reformation and Enlightenment. You have interesting things to say about the Medieval fairs and festivities that occur in Spain and Portugal as well as regarding the history of that area during the Medieval era. The Middle ages has a universal spirit to it, which combines forms of classicism with a volkish spirit, that gives it a purely human quality and sensibility.