Historic Replicas

During college, I lived a bit of a double life. There was the side that everyone saw – the friend who went out to bars on weekends and played pick-up games of basketball a few times a week. But then there was the gaming side. I would spend hours at a time playing videogames. You could name any role-playing game from the last five years on any platform, and I’ve probably played it and beat it.

Recently I’ve decided not to hide my passion for fantasy games any longer. I outfitted my apartment with an assortment of medieval replicas and dragon décor. My friends sometimes jokingly refer to me as the Dungeonmaster, but I couldn’t be more proud of the way the decorations turned out. Most guys my age lack any semblance of design sense, so who are they to judge?

Earlier this month, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell attempted to bring back a tradition of celebrating Confederate History Month in April, recognizing all those soldiers in Civil War hats that fought during one of our nation’s most important conflicts. Although the tradition hasn’t been recognized in recent years, McDonnell endeavored to bring it back, claiming that it is an inextricable piece of history for the people of Virginia. During his proclamation however, he overlooked one issue that has many people up in arms: slavery.

The omission is viewed by many as a distinctive slap in the face to the African-American community and the history of our nation. In the wake of the proclamation, several conservatives have come forward in defense of McDonnell, saying that slavery shouldn’t be viewed as a major issue and that there were other causes to the Civil War. For most of us, this seems like a gross misinterpretation of history, and in response, McDonnell reissued a statement that condemns slavery.

For Halloween every year, my brother and I coordinate our costumes. A few years back we went as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and last year we were the Blues Brothers. We have quite the backlog of innovative ideas, and every year there is some argument about what we should be.

At a renaissance fair I attended last week, I picked up a set of replica medieval armor. The Knights of the Round Table has been on the list for sometime, and I think that the armor will be perfect. My brother is campaigning to go as Tom and Jerry, but I have a feeling that I will be able to persuade him.

Every year the various families in my neighborhood organize an elaborate reenactment of some epic battle in history. Last year we did the infamous Battle of Waterloo, and this year we turned back the clock even further, endeavoring to recreate some of the battles of the Peloponnesian War. Although some of the most famous battles were fought on the sea, we made due.

Everyone was clad in replica uniforms and outfitted with traditional Greek weaponry. The battle lasted all day, and at the end, we had a feast featuring the typical fare of the era. Not only are the war-games an opportunity to build relationships in the community, but they also teach the children some valuable history lessons.

Few events have shaped the course of American history more than the Civil War. It is virtually impossible to imagine what would have happened if the South had been able to secede or forced the North adopt their ideology. In an age where virtually all of our country’s battles are fought thousands of miles away, it is difficult to comprehend the schism that years of internal fighting created.

Evidence of the Civil War’s indelible impact on our society is still manifest throughout the country. At various locations where infamous battles were fought there are still staged reenactments featuring Civil War replicas. Although these displays offer us insight into the battles and historical perspective, it is impossible to grasp the amount of bloodshed and sacrifice that the War necessitated.

When people think of the ancient western world, the two societies that come to mind most often are Greece and Rome. This association makes sense, as much of the culture and traditions between the two civilizations were quite similar. While the Greeks are often considered the founders of modern thought thanks to Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, the Romans also contributed greatly to the world that we live in today.

From our art and literature to our vary language, much of what we take for granted today was made possible via these cultures. These societies also made significant advances in math, science and various other technologies and areas of study. Most of the original artifacts from these cultures have been destroyed, but there are still accurate Greek and Roman replicas to be found.

We are entering into the time of year when you don’t have to be a diehard football fan to be interested in the NFL. With just a handful of teams left in the race for the Lombardi Trophy, cities that still have a team left in the playoffs are galvanizing their citizens to support their squad. Nowhere is this more evident than in Minnesota.

Although the city has hosted what will be their only playoff game of the season, the Viking fans showed their unwavering support. Not only were loyalists decked out in purple and gold attire, but there were also several members of the crows donning a variety of Viking replicas. Even if fans are still coming out of the woodwork late into the season, it is exciting to see people show such enthused support.

When many people hear the term “chain mail” it conjures up images of inbox spam and annoying chain letters. In actuality, chain metal is an ancient form of armor that is constructed of small metal rings that are linked together. These rings formed a mesh pattern that protected soldiers from a variety of medieval weaponry.

While today we refer to this armor as chain mail, the people who actually wore it as early as in the 4th century BC referred to it simply as mail. With the significant advancements in weaponry, there are few—if any—areas in the world where chain mail is still a viable option for protection. Most of the medieval chain mail on display today is found at Halloween parties and Renaissance fairs.

Get one of the most efficient side arms used by the United States Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985. The Springfield 1911 or the M1911 served the U.S. armed forces throughout two world wars, the Korean war and the Vietnam war. During the 2nd world war, its official designation was Automatic Pistol Caliber .45. The basic design of the M1911 is the short recoil principle self-loading pistol. This system replaced the traditional revolver handguns that carried several limitations.

During the span of its service for over 70 years, the US government procured around 2.7 million units of M1911. Among John Browning’s designs, the M1911 is the most famous and most widely copied by other gun manufacturers. The M1911 operating system has become the foundation of almost all 20th century modern center fire pistols. My grandfather gave me his original for Christmas last year, and I have it proudly exhibited in a gun display mount on my mantel.

Among the movie genres, Westerns are one of the most classic and most popular. Most take place during the latter half of the 19th century in the area that became known as the American Old West or Wild West, but several well known western films, including Vera Cruz, The Wild Bunch, The Proposition, Quigley Down Under, and others have been set in Canada, Mexico and even in Australia. The earliest Western movies were filmed entirely on set, and utilized canvas paintings as Old West backdrops and other Western replicas as props.

The primary theme of these films is often how created but primitive ways of life and routine conflict when confronted with social change, most commonly depicted by conflicts between settlers and ranchers or natives and the coming industrial revolution. This theme of the modern impinging on the established is represented in most films of the genre. The set-up order of things was continuously changing for real Old West settlers as well, since they started to construct towns and farms the land of the new frontier, and this sense of being at the forefront of a new age is often found in many Westerns as well.