A glimpse of Life in Medieval Europe for students and families.
She is called Hedwiga, wife of Gawain. She has no last name, but is sometimes called “The German” which she does not like.
She greets you at the
door to her home; a two room cottage made of wattle and daub which she shares
with her husband and their livestock. Smoke curls up from the hearth and out a
hole in the roof . This scene was played out 800 years ago, as well as today.
YOU are invited to visit, your invitation, is your IMAGINATIION.
King John is on the throne and there is peace in Yorkshire . . .
Yorkshire,
Lord Muckley holds
Westburgh from Count Finn held it
from the King, 50 acres woodlands for pannage on the southern slope of
Pennhill, 15 c. meadows bordering the River Ure. A Saxon Church built in
920 (abandoned). 1 c. and 3 d. 1 freeman,
Gavinus Albus, one virgate with toft and croft, a plough, a mill at 10s. .
. ,
The history of medieval Europe takes on the immediacy of today’s news when witnessed by students who can
freely interact with persons from the past, wear their clothing, and touch the
objects used in everyday life. Kathryn Westburg, a multimedia communications professional
who specializes in educational materials, has taken her love of history and
created a program that can be customized to fit the needs of your classroom or
community group.
As Hedwiga (Hed-vigah), Kathryn
tells you about the realities of life for everyday folk, not the kings and nobles
who fill the pages of history books.
What you learn may surprise you. When
Thom and his father finally arrived at the castle, he could hardly believe
his eyes. He was surrounded by men and women in fine clothing, there were
musicians playing and large platters of food placed on the tables. Thom
held his trencher, a thick crust of stale bread used as a plate, while his
father ladled stew from a common bowl. Thom dipped his horn spoon in the
hot spicy mixture . . .” This
story was read by a 6th grader a long time ago. Although the reader
was not contemporary with the characters who illustrated events taking place 800
years ago, it felt that way. It was an event that greatly influenced my attitude
towards learning. I can still
vividly recall the illustrations that accompanied the text. As I look back, I
identify that moment as the beginning of my love of history and pursuit of life
long learning. For me, the thrill was in feeling as if I had lived the
experiences of history. It helped me remember facts, because I associated them
with experiences of real people. This is how the journey that resulted in Circa
1200 began. Circa
1200 brings the magic of experiential learning of history to your classroom.
Much more practical than a trip to Great Britain or France, and more
possible than time travel, Circa 1200 provides your students with a memorable
life experience upon which they can associate the critical facts of their
lessons. This living history
presentation is the result of a combination of research and experiences. Visits
to excellent museums with historical interpreters, such as Plimouth Plantation
and Connor Prairie, visits to significant historic sites throughout Western
Europe, and reading a treasury of books on medieval history and theories of
living history interpretation have precede this project’s development. Your
students will visit Hedwiga, a mature woman of common birth who represents the
emerging middle class in Western Europe. A peasant, but not a serf, she invites
you into her world of rural Yorkshire, England in about the year 1200 C. E. You
can touch objects that were common in her time but quite odd to us, feel the
texture of her family’s garments, and see some of her most prized possessions.
You may learn about hopes, fears, and beliefs of everyday folk, based upon
period chronicles and essays. And you might come to understand that the people
of the middle ages were very much like people in the modern age, but living in
very different world from ours. Content
of the presentation is customized to highlight your lesson plan and to the age
and interests of your students.
Hedwiga teaches children to to make mustard
HISTORY
presented LIVE in your classroom.
Includes historical interpretation, demonstration of a
period craft, hands-on experience with historical reproductions, customization
of content to meet educational goals, and instructors’ background materials
and bibliography. Suitable for up to 20 students.50 minutes $75.00
Includes historical interpretation, demonstration of a
period craft, display of historical reproductions that can be touched, and
instructors’ background materials and bibliography. This presentation is
designed for an informal “fair booth “type of experience. Students stop by
for a brief show-and-tell and move on to other related activities. This is a
half-day, either morning or afternoon program. Includes historical interpretation, demonstration of a
period craft, hands-on experience with historical reproductions, customization
of content to meet educational goals, and instructors’ background materials
and bibliography. Up to three presentations in one day. Hands-on experiences
based on number of students in each group. Travel distance to presentations of more than 40 miles will
add a mileage surcharge of $0.48 per mile. To
schedule a Circa 1200 Living History Presentation or if you have any questions
please contact me,
Kathryn Westburg
1860 Eastman Lane
Hanover Park, Illinois
60133
Phone:
630-855-0617
Fax:
630-855-0617 .
“Squire
Robert, the eldest son of the lord of the castle was on vigil. Robert
stayed up all last night preparing for the ceremony whereby the Squire
would become a Knight. It was a very great honor, and something that Thom
would never experience. But tonight he and his father would go to the
castle for a feast. All the heads of household would be there and their
sons who were at least 14 years of age. Not women, of course, only the
men.
Individual classroom presentation
Meet me at the FAIRE.
$100.00
Full Day—Multiple Presentations
$200.00