Currently in: Michaelmas 2023
Contact us
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What's happening?
Much is going on this term! Particularly events aimed at introducing new people (freshers or otherwise) to the world of reenactment. As usual every week we will have Sunday afternoon Battle Practice and Thursday evening meetings but we also have several big events in term including an evening fire, trip to reenactor markets and a feast towards the end of term.
You don’t need any previous experience or stuff of your own. For all our in-person events we provide all the equipment/materials. Nor do you need to attend every session nor attend both kitmakings and battle practice - focus on what interests you!
Battle Practice Sunday afternoons 1-3 PM
Learn display and competitive fighting with steel swords and spears. We meet at the bottom of Jackdaw Lane, just outside the entrance to the University Sports Grounds.
What3Words location: duty.aware.dragon
You'll progress over the term from simple moves to free fighting. Once ready, you can take our competency test, meaning you're qualified to perform displays.
Thursday evening Kitmaking Plus 7:30 PM
We meet every Thursday evening from 7:30 PM. Meet at the gates / porters' lodge at 7:30 PM.
For Michelmas term we will be doing workshops for a specific craft or interest for people to try out. If you find one crafts really interests you and want to keep going with it through the term feel free to! Again focus on what interests you! If you're particularly gung ho you could even start making larger pieces of kit such as tunics but take it all at your own pace.
Event details
1ST WEEK
Sunday 8th October: 1-3 PM. Meet the Warriors - Battle Practice and Crafts
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- Come see what reenactment is all about! We'll be running both Combat and Crafts for people to get involved with.
Thursday 12th October: 7:30 PM. Kitmaking and crafts
- Location: Merton College, meet at the gates at 7:30 PM.
- Our first kitmaking of the term and we'll be doing some introductory crafts for people new to reenactment. This will include fingerloop braiding and pouch or hat making.
2ND WEEK
Sunday 15th October: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- Continue training with sword, spear or other weapons.
Thursday 19th October: 7:30 PM. Kitmaking and crafts
- Location: Merton College, meet at the gates at 7:30 PM.
- This kitmaking will introduce people to the craft of Tablet Weaving, how it works and starting people on making their own.
- Continue work on your Dark Age costume
3RD WEEK
Sunday 22nd October: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- Continue training with sword, spear or other weapons.
Thursday 26th October: 7:30 PM. Kitmaking and crafts
- Location: Merton College, meet at the gates at 7:30 PM.
- Board Games! Get stuck in with the games of the era and learn how to play them!
- Continue work on your Dark Age costume
Saturday 28th October: 5 PM - late. Samahain Fire
- Location: the Kidneys Nature Reserve, Oxford. Fire, stories, songs and merriment deep in the woods (half an hour walk from Oxford city centre).
4TH WEEK
Sunday 29th October: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- Continue training with sword, spear or other weapons.
Thursday 2nd November: 7:30 PM. Kitmaking and crafts
- Location: Merton College, meet at the gates at 7:30 PM.
- This kitmaking we'll show how to make chainmail and all can have a go making it
- Continue work on your Dark Age costume
5TH WEEK
Sunday 5th November: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- Continue training with sword, spear or other weapons.
Thursday 9th November: 7:30 PM. Kitmaking and crafts
- Location: Merton College, meet at the gates at 7:30 PM.
- We'll be doing calligraphy this week, so be sure to get a quill and get writing authentically
- Continue work on your Dark Age costume
6TH WEEK
Sunday 12th November: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- Continue training with sword, spear or other weapons.
Thursday 16th November: 7:30 PM. Kitmaking and crafts
- Location: Merton College, meet at the gates at 7:30 PM.
- Continue work on your Dark Age costume
Saturday 18th November: day trip. Medieval markets and mystery sites!
- Location: Departing from central Oxford
- Come along to two of the biggest reenactment markets, The Original Reenactors Market (TORM) and the Artisans and Reenactors Market (ARM), to take a look and potentially buy reenactment gear, kit or anything else that intrigues you!
- Additionally we'll go and visit some lesser know historical sites in the area for people to take a look around.
7TH WEEK
Sunday 19th November: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- Continue training with sword, spear or other weapons.
Thursday 23rd November: 7:30 PM. Kitmaking and crafts
- Location: Merton College, meet at the gates at 7:30 PM.
- Food! In the runup to our Dark Age feast we'll have Anglo-Saxon food for people to come and try out.
- Continue work on your Dark Age costume
Saturday 25th November: 6-10PM. Feast
- Location: Venue TBC but typically a 5 minute walk from Central Oxford
- Join us for a multi course Dark Age feast complete with copious amounts of mead, songs, entertainment and games of strength and skill! A chance to show off any kit you might have made over the term or just come to enjoy the festivities!
8TH WEEK
Sunday 26th November: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- Continue training with sword, spear or other weapons.
Thursday 30th November: 7:30 PM. Kitmaking and crafts
- Location: Merton College, meet at the gates at 7:30 PM.
- Beads! As a congratulations for all those who've made kit, passed combat competancy tests or for other good deads we'll be handing out beads our last kitmaking of the term.
- Continue work on your Dark Age costume
OTHER EVENTS
Easter Hauksby 2024: Wednesday 3 April - Sunday 7 April
- Location: Murton Park, near York
- One of our big events during the year where we put on a four day long display for the public and gathering round bonfires in the evening, with all the usual mead, songs and merriment.
- A great opportunity to practice crafts such as wordworking and leatherworking.
- Don't worry if you don't have all the kit, the society has plenty enough for people to borrow as needed!
- We may be able to start on the Tuesday so we get four full days tbc.
Old termcards from Trinity 2008 onwards can be viewed by clicking on 'History' below. Termcards from Michaelmas 1999 to Trinity 2007 are archived here.
