SAXONS.

Historical Background

At the end of the tenth century Anglo-Saxon England was the most unified and prosperous state, of any size, in Europe. The foundation of many of our towns dates to this period. Agriculture was the main occupation, a system of manorial estates was well in place before 1066 with the holders of land occupying it in return for military service. The currency, the silver penny, was widely used and was of a good quality, both of manufacture and in terms of silver content.

This wealth attracted raiders from Scandinavia, the Vikings.

Viking raids had occurred in waves since the 790s and in the late 10^th century, far more concerted efforts were made, of conquest rather than looting.  From 1016 until 1042 England was ruled by a Danish dynasty but even so the wealth of the land was utilized for defense in the shape of the fleets and armies raised to deny access to hostile forces.

In 1066 the Normans, the descendants of Danes who had settled in Northern France, conquered the Kingdom of England.  Viking raids were however not to stop until the end of the 11^th century.  With the coming of the Normans England continued to evolve economically and politically toward conditions we would still recognize today.

The Colchester Historical Enactment Society, recreates an encampment of Saxons during the 11th Century.

Within this encampment, we demonstrate a number of artifacts and crafts, and the general activities of Saxon day to day living such as the preparation of a meal, using the ingredients and recipes of the dark ages. 

We also display a variety of weapons and from the period of the Norman invasion to the public and stage displays of the combat of the era.

C.H.E.S. is a relatively small society, and as such we don't always have the manpower to stage a large re-enactment battle, so our combat displays usually take the form of an "Illustrated lecture". The audience are shown the weapons and equipment of the period, and their use is demonstrated in a series of single combats, we also demonstrate the tactics of the Dark Ages such as the shield wall, and training exercises such as the Circle of treachery, a free for all combat where the last man  (or woman) left standing is the victor. We can also include the "Arming of the Knight" demonstration, where a volunteer from the audience is equipped in the full chain mail armor and equipment of the Saxon warrior.

BANQUETS

In response to a number of requests to supply entertainment for historical banquets and medieval themed parties, C.H.E.S. has created a "tournament of foot" show. This is a combat display that can be tailored to suit the specific event.

Usually, this entertainment starts with a brief demonstration of the different weapons that were available to the dark age warrior. This also introduces the society members that are taking part in the "Tournament".

The spectators are then encouraged to choose their champions. and the combatants are chosen by the guests drawing lots, these guests then get to choose the type of weapon and shield that their champion will fight with. the progress of the champions is displayed on a board.

This entertainment can be divided into timeslots to suit the format of the event, typically it is used to fill in the times between the courses.