Huzzah!: Franklin, Wilson students put on 13th annual Medieval Faire

It may take a lifetime for the students in John Ulrich and Jennifer England’s fourth-grade classes to forget one part of their recent study of medieval history: Huzzah! Huzzah!

Lords and ladies, knaves and knights alike shouted the traditional cheer of approval over and over Friday afternoon during the 13th annual Medieval Faire organized by the two classes from Wilson and Franklin schools.

More than 100 costumed classmates, parents and siblings huddled together for warmth as Lord Parthos (Theodore Gorchels) and Lady Catherine (Lillian Beck), representing Franklin, and Lord Ian (Walton) and Lady Lauren (Rodgers), from Wilson, were ushered into a makeshift throne room under Franklin School’s covered play yard by the town herald and a procession of squires and attendants.

To the delight of everyone, Celtic dancers, musicians, Merlin the magician and two different companies of actors performed for the court and its audience.

Then the crowd moved out into the “castle courtyard” during a brief spell of sunshine for a second round of entertainment featuring two troupes of acrobats, a jousting match and the swordsmanship of three knights riding the sturdiest of (cardboard) steeds.

The children also set up a merchants’ area to sell a variety of handmade wares including jeweled boxes, clay pots and baskets, candles, fancy headdresses, precious gems, shields and swords. Other booths offered medieval snacks such as jerky, cheese, bread, pastries and apple juice.

“We try to make it as authentic as possible for the kids,” said Ulrich, as he pointed out the different roles students were playing, including a bishop, a couple of nuns, beggars, serfs, even a pickpocket. Some of the costumed performers were older students from the middle school grades at Franklin or the high school who had participated in the faire when they were fourth-graders.

England came up with the idea 13 years ago as a way to make the Middle Ages come to life for her students. Medieval history is a part of the curriculum at both Franklin and Wilson schools so it made sense for Wilson students to join them.

Each student chooses a role he or she wants to play at the faire and then must research what that character would wear, say and do. The annual faire is like a jigsaw puzzle, England explains on the class Web site: “As the pieces come together, a vivid picture of the middle ages is revealed.”

Ulrich said his class spent a lot of time comparing what life for various segments of society in the Middle Ages was like then with what it’s like now for women, for low-income families, for soldiers and other social classes.

One example, he shared, was learning about the high death rates among women and their babies at childbirth because they didn’t know as much about germs and how to deal with complications compared to the kind of health care women get now.

One of England’s students, 10-year-old Nick Turnbull, barely had time to talk while selling shields at the market. But during a short break between customers, he said he learned “they made their weapons really shiny so the sun would shine on them and blind their enemies. That way they would get the advantage.”

The event at Franklin marks the end of the students’ month-long study of the Middle Ages. “It’s a time to celebrate and have fun,” Ulrich said.

But if the enthusiasm seen on Friday is any indication of how much the students enjoyed their lessons, it seems they will remember plenty about medieval times for years to come.

Huzzah! Huzzah!