Photos by Makar Artemev
“In norse, Jarl means boss or leader. I’m the boss here at [mediaeval touring group] Midgards Feuerbund. We tour all over Europe.” Rudi (45, Jarl).
(from left) “Even the children I work with call me a witch. I’m an old soul, and he is my soulmate.” Yvonne (48, daycare worker). “We’re really living this. We use medicinal herbs at home, for example. We do what the average person would call witchcraft.” Andreas (53, commercial specialist).
“This was my first sword fight, and it went great. I catapulted one guy two metres through the air.” Elfe (35, blacksmith and occasional sword-fighter).
“All this obviously romanticising mediaeval time because if it didn’t, we’d be bashing each other’s heads in.” Ben (35, system engineer).
Vanessa (24, construction material tester).
“I’m a big fantasy fan, I play a lot of Dungeons and Dragons with my friends. I’ve had this dress since I was 14, and it still fits.” Olivia (25, web designer).
“I started vending dressed as a monk, but when you’re walking around with a wooden cross around your neck, the vikings start coming after you. I can live my life without having ice water poured down my neck, so now I believe in Odin.” Axel (62, vendor).
Anna (59, jewellery designer).
“We’ve been coming here for four years, since Arvid was five years old. His mum isn’t such a big fan, so it’s mostly just us two.” Lars (56, nursing manager) and son Arvid (9, third-grader).
“My real name is Eugen Hander, but I portray a knight who lived in Gundelfingen around 1230. He was known for his vigilance… and charm.” (winks) Ulrich von Gundelfingen (57, knight) and Maximus (professional horse).
“You could say I’m like a mediaeval sports presenter. One time, we made a bet on how quickly I could get a crowd turn on one of the knights. He got booed the moment he entered the arena.” Jacques de Bourgogne (44, tournament herald).
Athina (23, baker).
“My character name is Laif von der Skollingern. I do a lot of live action role playing at ConQuest of Mythodea, the biggest LARP event in the world.” Niklas (27, drama student).
“You’re welcome to call me Sir Godfrey bon der Angerburg, the french nobleman.” Lennart (35, IT project manager).
“My friend is really interested in mediaeval history, and she told me about this event. She has a lot of mediaeval outfits and a really cool sword! I borrowed these ears from her.” Lilith (24, customer service assistant).
