Through the classical and medieval ages of western civilization, people accepted the supernatural as a common element of day-to-day life. "The devil made me do it" was not merely a convenient tongue-in-cheek excuse, but a realistic and literal explanation for many. People truly believed, without question, that supernatural forces and entities beyond their control played an important and sometimes frightening role in their lives. As such, stories and superstitions developed around inexplicable aspects of reality as a means for normal people to understand and manage, or at least moderate, forces they felt were beyond their control. The faerie and fantasy guild of the Washington Renaissance Fantasy Faire embodies those forces, and encompasses all characters that have a touch of the magical or unearthly in them. While we are not, strictly speaking, historically accurate, we do try and portray the Renaissance perception of the otherworldly.

The Renaissance, generally considered to constitute a shift of perspective away from such superstitions and towards more rational, scientific thought, saw these popular beliefs begin to ebb, but by and large this effect was slow to trickle down to the common person. Your average farmer in Renaissance Britain might well still believe that faeries were responsible for souring his cow's milk and that Abbey Lubbers haunted the crumbling monastery up the road from his home. His wife might put out a crust of bread every night for the faeries to eat, or keep iron nails in a bottle by the hearth to ward off unwelcome intrusions by the "fair folk". These beliefs were culled from half-remembered pagan religious tenants, and hundreds, if not thousands, of years of tales told by the fire and in the pub about strange happenings (the Renaissance equivalent of a scary movie).

We as a guild seek to bring these superstitions and stories to life, for while they might not have existed in the strictest sense of the historical; they were inextricably a part of life for the majority of Britons.

Important guild information is contained in the following sections. Please read them carefully, as anyone involved in the Faerie and Fantasy Guild is expected to know all the information contained therein.

Character & Costume Guidelines

If after reading the listed guild information and, if applicable, the rest of the information contained on this website, you still have questions, please email them to Chelsea at Chelseafaire@aol.com.