Slavs and Viking Festival in Wolin – The Historical Accuracy Rulebook
Timeframe of the festival: IX-XI century
Clothing
We recommend the outfits be cohesive regarding the timeframe, territory and social status of the reenacted person and based on archaeological sources. Lack of cohesiveness means Gjermundbu helmet and a saber or almond-shaped shield.
It is forbidden to use non-historical shoes, modern belts, press-on or gel nails, clothes from different fabrics than linen, wool or silk; modern jewellery, watches and sunglasses. In cases of non-historical hairstyles and unnatural hair colours, it is necessary to cover the hair with a hat or a headscarf.
It is not suggested to mix the presented cultures too much.
Participants who come with pets are required to have historically accurate bowls for their pets.
Campsite
The campsite grounds should be free of any modern items like clothing, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, plastic bottles etc. All tools in camps like axes, shovels, knives, hoes, pots, pans etc have to be based on historical items from the appropriate timeframe. We ask you to make fire only in designated spots and for using phones and other electronic devices (excluding medical ones) in closed tents.
All presented items for sale have to be historically accurate: replicas or stylized on early medieval items. Prices cannot be placed on modern tags, they can be written of pieces of fabric, leather, or wood.
Armour and fighting equipment
Weapons and armour should be in good condition, not chipped, without holes and clean of rust. The same goes for the textile parts of armour.
Users of weapons: swords, sabres, knives etc. should have sheaths for the weapons. Spears, pickaxes and axes should be properly mounted on strong spars. We allow spears with permanent and aesthetic safety guards for example rolled or with a ball at the end.
Weapons and amour should be homogenous when it comes to the presented character’s timeframe, location and social status.
It is forbidden to go into battle without shoes.
Helmets should be based on sources appropriate to the main timeframe of the Festival, which is IX-XI century (which means helmets like Vendel, Valsgarde or Sutton Hoo and variations of helmets based on them are not allowed)
All additional safety measurements (hidden masks etc) have to be hidden under the hood or other parts of the helmet. For safety reasons, we require neck guards (quilted hats, felt, chainmail hoods). We also recommend historical faceguards.
It is allowed to use shields made out of planks or plywood as long as it’s gonna be covered on both sides with historically accurate fabric. Shields should be in good condition, without major chips and modern assembly elements.
It’s forbidden to use any visible forearm or shin guards, it includes bracers. Modern guards can be used only if covered by historical clothing. The only exception is (cohesive with the overall silhouette) guards made based on archaeological finds of the nomad groups.
It is forbidden to use equipment dated to a different timeframe than the guidelines of the festival, chainmail made with galvanized wire, leather lamellar armour, and shields of shapes and sizes without any grounds in archaeological finds from the era presented by the festival.
Verification of historical accuracy by the organizers
During the Festival designated people will verify the historical requirements of individual participants as well as the campsites. They will have a right to demand changing, hiding or taking off the non-historical elements of the outfit or parts of the campsite.
In a situation where the participant or a group will not obey the requirements they can be asked to leave the Festival grounds and they might not be invited to future editions of the Festival.
The designated people can take photos or record participants and campsites to be used as evidence of not following the rulebook above. The participants agree to the rulebook by sending the admission form and confirming that they have read the rulebook.
Important – the rules above are mandatory starting in 2024.
we understand that the Festival is taking place pretty soon and it might be problematic to implement everything in 2024. Only the outfit’s or battle equipment’s geographical cohesiveness will be treated as a suggestion this year. From 2025 they will be mandatory.
Starting in 2024 a warrior whose equipment does not meet the requirements will not be allowed into battle.