Over the years, we’ve taken on a number of projects as reenactors. Most of them take the form of hosting "events," the bread and butter of living history.

Event hosting requires time, money, historical research, and a keen sense of drama as well as knowledge of the local ground. Without event hosting, there is no living history. Members of Hoplologia have directed hundreds of events since the late 1970’s, ranging in size from a half-dozen people to two thousand reenactors and fifteen thousand spectators; and at every level of authenticity from painstaking reconstructions of individual lives to historical pageants with recreated battles and large military camps.

Mostly, these days, we have two groups. We reenact a military company in late 14th century Italy called the 'Compagnia della Rose nella sole' or just 'the Compagnia'. Sometimes we're the Taxeis of Plataea in 490 BCE Greece and once in a great while we may still return to our old identity as the 'Company of Select Marksmen' in 1777. Our french canadian contigent (the unofficial Hoplologia Québec" chapter) is  'Aix-en-Forêt', a late 12th century french cistercian monastic grange. When we reenact, though, we, for the most part, mean late Medieval reenacting, both in North America and in Italy. We put on events like the Red Knight and "Le Pas d'Aix-en-forêt", and we also support other events, like the Chicago Swordplay Guild's 'WMAW' event and 'Days of Knights' in Kentucky. In Europe, we take part in events organized by our friends there, principally the 'Torneo del Cigno Bianco' run by the Veronese group 'Compagnia del'Doppio Soldo' . We intend, in the long run, to do other European events like Azincourt and eventually, the Battle of Castagnaro. 

When we reenact, we're trying to 'live' our history. We make some effort to try and practice the skills and habits of the Middle Ages. There can be a fine line between the possible and the impossible, the reenact-able and the farcical. We're always looking for that line. We cook period food in period ways, and we live in tents that are themselves mostly correct, and we cut our wood with period tools and practice period martial arts. But, sadly, we don't have horses, or even chickens; our midden heaps only have two days to grow; we're dead set against dysentery or the bubonic plague. If you want to examine the whys and wherefores more, you might read our page on philosophy, or the handbook.  Or just contact us and ask questions. Reenacting is never simple. Reconstructing the past is a lot of research and work. 

If you like to make complicated clothes from the past, do lots of hard work in the outdoors, and spend you spare time either learning esoteric skills or doing research, you have come to the right place. We're always recruiting. We'd be happy to have you, as long as you are good with the whole 'work' thing.

Still there? You should contact us.

You can see pictures of our events in the Gallery

And a list of our events on the Events page.

Hoplologia is a registered not-for-profit organization based in Canada but now growing to the USA and Italy and Greece. Your tax-deductible donations are appreciated!