The renn-fests not only depict the culture of churches and abbeys of the sixteenth century, but you also see the demonstrations of the pagan culture. Some bloggers claim that many of the fests such as Ohio Renaissance Festival is more based on the pagan culture, and they depict the religious culture very less. Whether or not, it is true that a big part of the fest is based in the pagan culture.
Before going in little detail, it is essential to understand what exactly the pagan culture is. The people define it in different ways. But, in general, it is named to a culture, which is involved in the fantastical things, such as witchcraft, and believes in the characters like elves, vampires and so on. However, this is not the complete definition. The word paganism is often used for the non-Christian religions in Europe.
We find many of the things of the pagan culture in the renn-fests. Some of the interesting aspects that we find here include:
People Wearing the Fantasy Mask: A number of people in the festivals can be found wearing the fantasy masks with the face of vampires, ghosts and many other supernatural characters. These fantasy masks indicate the pagan culture, which believes in the supernatural themes as well as the practices like witchcraft.
Presence of Wiccans, Fortune Tellers and Occultists: The presence of the aforesaid people is also a perfect indication of the existence of the pagan culture inside the festival.
Availability of Pagan Products in Stalls: In the stalls available at the festivals, a number of products, which directly belong to the pagan culture, can be found. Elf ears, fox tails and many other fantasy items can be found on these products.
Presence of Modern Gothic Culture: You can also find the modern gothic culture in different ways in these festivals. Many people can be seen wearing the gothic clothing here. This modern Goth culture also has the same concept, which is why it also indicates the gothic culture.
Celtic Songs: One can also find playing of the Celtic songs in these festivals, which also show the pagan culture.
Touch of Pagan Styles in Outfits and People Wearing Pagan Clothing: Some of the renaissance costumes are available with the touch of pagan outfits. Moreover, you can also see some people wearing the pagan clothing in these fests. These outfits also show the influence of the pagan culture on the festivals.
