Participating in Middle Earth and Where We Fit

[caedmon]

I posted this to the FB group because of a newcomer's question. It figured I'd cross-post because I can find it more easily here later.


There is something about Tolkien's Legendarium that invites the reader to do more than just read. There is a siren's call to participate. And people do. Yes, to a degree, every creative work does this, and in the cosplay soaked 21st century it's hard to imagine, but this call was not heeded by adults not so long ago. Tolkien's work was the first to call adults en masse to do what kids have always done, participate and make it real in song, art, and life.

My uncle has often told me how, as a young man in the 60s, he took a machete and went into the woods to be Aragorn. He wasn't alone. Dagorhir a boffer-based SCA analog was founded around the same time to 'have Hobbit battles in the woods'.

What are the levels of participation in Middle Earth?

There are of course the standard aspects, making songs, art, derivative stories, TTRPG campaigns, etc. But there is a whole gamut of physical participation from building hobbit holes and LoTR weddings to much deeper forays. This list attempts to categorize these participations.

Disclaimer:
* This is me thinking out loud, not a Mod laying down the law.
* This is taxonomical musing, not a value judgement.
* The following are not a strict spectrum, things/people /groups can exist in any one of these, or several at once. )
* This is in no way exhaustive. I'm not being mean if I didn't include your thing. I'll fit it in if I can.


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Single Event Costume Participation
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Generally Middle Earth participants are copying someone else' interpretation (Peter Jackson, RoP, etc.) and the standards are fairly low.
Garments are a costume, often poorly made, and out of inferior materials

Examples are things like Tolkien Weddings, Halloween parties, making costumes for your TTPRG etc.

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Cosplay
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These can be single events, but more work generally goes into it, the purpose is usually for accolades.
Generally Middle Earth participants are copying someone else' interpretation.
Garments are a costume, quality varies from poorly made to exquisite, materials are chose for looks not accuracy.
Examples like this would be conventions, photo-shoots, or being a patron at a Ren Faire.
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Soft-LARP
--
Here the purpose is a lived storyline or battle environment. Often they are multi-era/universe events where the vastly unlike groups mix.
Garments are a costume, quality varies, and materials are chose for looks not accuracy.
This includes groups like Dagorhir, Amtgard, Ren Fairs, and even sections of the SCA.
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Hard-LARP
--
Here the purpose is a lived storyline or battle environment. These are single-era/universe events where participants are supposed to logically fit in the environment.
Garments are a costume, often well made, materials are chose for looks not but plausible materials are often used.
This includes groups like Fell & Fair, or some of the European LoTR groups.
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Soft Reenactment
--
Generally a solitary or small group pursuit. Participants create an impression based on role or culture in Middle Earth.
Garments are clothes, quality construction is encouraged, and plausible materials are encouraged.
Emphasis on plausible real life skills.
This group is to be in this Category.
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Hard Reenactment
--
Generally a solitary or small group pursuit. Participants create an impression based on role or culture in Middle Earth.
Garments are clothes, Made to the level that they would be in-world, plausible materials are required.
Emphasis on plausible real life skills.
This includes the Middle Earth Reenactment Society.

[Yavion]

As an ex-SCAdian, the fact you listed the SCA as soft LARP and not soft reenactment gave me a chuckle. They really want to be the latter, but in many ways they're very much the former.

It's a good list. Not exhaustive but a great outline of ideas.

[Cimrandir]

It's a pretty good outline and like Yavion, I am highly amused that the SCA is (rightfully in my opinion) assessed as a "Soft Larp."

Unfortunately (?), I decided early on that Hard Reenactment is the only way for me and as a result, the process is slow. But I'm still working away at it because at the end of the day, it will be truly worth it.

[MiketheBlacksmith]

As an ex-SCAdian, the fact you listed the SCA as soft LARP and not soft reenactment gave me a chuckle. They really want to be the latter, but in many ways they're very much the former.

I couldn't agree more,unlike other groups of reenactors I am familiar with such as COHT or The AMM.

[caedmon]

As an ex-SCAdian, the fact you listed the SCA as soft LARP and not soft reenactment gave me a chuckle. They really want to be the latter, but in many ways they're very much the former.

It's a good list. Not exhaustive but a great outline of ideas.

This description is narrowly pointed at for people doing fantasy stuff in the SCA. (i.e. they either do fantasy personae, or think they are doing historical but "fairies & unicorns attended their birth". )


I do wish to clarify. In general the SCA is hard. They are such a mixed bag it is hard to put it into one basket. They don't have a consistent time period, they have kingdoms and a history that will never map to the real world. Yet, Individuals or Households may hold a high degree of authenticity and very well may be soft or hard reenactors. Some of the finest researchers and craftspeople I know only do the Society.

[Yavion]

As an ex-SCAdian, the fact you listed the SCA as soft LARP and not soft reenactment gave me a chuckle. They really want to be the latter, but in many ways they're very much the former.

It's a good list. Not exhaustive but a great outline of ideas.

This description is narrowly pointed at for people doing fantasy stuff in the SCA. (i.e. they either do fantasy personae, or think they are doing historical but "fairies & unicorns attended their birth". )


I do wish to clarify. In general the SCA is hard. They are such a mixed bag it is hard to put it into one basket. They don't have a consistent time period, they have kingdoms and a history that will never map to the real world. Yet, Individuals or Households may hold a high degree of authenticity and very well may be soft or hard reenactors. Some of the finest researchers and craftspeople I know only do the Society.

I was a member for nearly 20 years and you hit the nail on the head. One of my first events there was someone in Babylon 5 Menbari robes walking with someone in solidly researched 16th century Irish. I really think they would be better suited to "Historically inspired fantasy" as that was basically the original brief. "The Middle Ages as They SHOULD Have Been"