KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
Local journalism initiative reporter
For two days, the Maxville Fairgrounds became a world of fairies and wood nymphs with pointed ears, jesters and minstrels, barbarians and pirates, all in costumes perfectly suited to their medieval persona — not typical of the people one usually meets in Maxville. The Duchies of Glengarry and her royal ladies wore gowns in jewel colours with brocade trim, while others were more simply dressed in peasant blouses, cotton skirts and aprons, to name just a few of the visitors to the Renaissance Festival that settled in for a weekend of jousting knights and mystical performances.
Two aisles of vendors were selling period clothing, costume accessories and candles to the thousands who ventured from all over, many from Montreal and Ottawa.
The hand-to-hand combat using swords, shields and pole hammer was exciting to watch as the crowds gathered around to cheer on the knights as they clashed; even a fist fight between two knights erupted. Cherry the Bubble Fairie provided slightly quieter entertainment with soft bubbles that children were trying to catch.
The Knights of Valour, dressed in armour and riding war horses, demonstrated their skills and accuracy as they competed at mounted games such as spearing rings and using swords to slice a watermelon set upon the head of a squire. But the real thrill arrived with the thunder of hooves and crash of wood upon steel as the Knights of Valour galloped towards each other on the lists.
Shane Adams, world champion jousting competitor and star from the television show Full Metal Jousting, was the moderator for the joust. The wooden lances average eight pounds, but some can be up to 20 pounds and are 11 feet long. The full force impact of the lance on the chest is 5,000 pounds.
A knight can spend $3,200 for armour, plus $800 to $2,000 for a helmet. A knight’s armour is custom-made today, just as it would have been in the 15th century, only now, because the skill is so specialized, those searching for qualified blacksmiths must look as far as the Ukraine for someone to make their armour. This process can take a minimum of six months, with in-demand blacksmiths requiring three or four years to make a suit of armour.
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