The Vista Featured: UCO Medieval Society

The University of Central Oklahoma Medieval Society met with The Vista to discuss the importance of practicing humanities in college spaces today.

Three times a month students from across campus come together to immerse themselves in a topic that most people never do: the medieval times.

The Medieval Society is an organization formed 34 years ago, in 1992. The concept came from Stephen Law, Ph.D., a professor in humanities and philosophy, who did hands-on projects with his students in class using his skills as a master carpenter, said Reid Weber, Ph.D., co-sponsor of the Medieval Society. When the classes ended, the students asked, “Why do they have to stop when the classes end,” said Weber.

The Medieval Societys main focus is experimental archeology, said Rylee Green, president of the Medieval Society. They take artifacts found by archaeologists and recreate them, said Green. The members make everything they use, from the dresses to the shields, as authentic as possible. They are used for events like their living history events, a monthly event to dress in medieval clothes and educate the public. Now that the Medieval Society is almost 35 years old, the members have a wide selection of handmade clothes and props, said Green.

The overall goal of the Society is to teach the basics so that students are inspired to do bigger things, like the previous president of the Medieval Society, who is now getting a master’s degree in experimental archaeology at University College Dublin, said Weber.

The Medieval Society has three big events a year: Norman Medieval Fair, Midwinter Feast, and Viking Market.

The most important event is the Norman Medieval Fair. Every year the Medieval Society sets up an educational booth with a different topic every year for three days on the weekend to educate around 100,000 people, said Green.

Nine years ago, the Medieval Society used to compete over who had the best educational booth at the Norman Medieval Fair with the University of Oklahoma and the now-closed Saint Gregory’s University, said Weber.

The Midwinter Feast is when the Medieval Society gets together during winter to cook medieval dishes, dress in garb, and dance. The feast is on the property of the parents of one of the first presidents of the Medieval Society, said Weber. They use a hall that the parents had built just for the Medieval Society, and on one of the walls there is a deer head mount that was eaten at the second Midwinter Feast, said Weber.

The Viking Market is an event hosted by Glomesdal, a group of historical reenactors focused on the Viking Age based in Oklahoma City, with many UCO alumni from the Medieval Society in it, to buy and sell goods.

They also have three smaller events every month: a workshop, a living history event, and a lecture from a scholar.

Weber said that in years of low membership, alumni will come to help at events, like working at the Norman Medieval Fair booth and setting up the trebuchet that was built in 2001 when students from the Medieval Society went to Dover Castle in England where they saw the trebuchet and were inspired to make their own based on it.

When asked why the organization is still active for so long when other organizations at UCO have not lasted nearly as long, Green answered, “ because the people who join are dedicated; it’s the dedication.” She later explained that the community they build is another big reason. 

“I have gained many new friends, connections, and knowledge by being a member and officer in Medieval Society,” said Claire Zinser, treasurer of the Medieval Society.

Weber said that the organization is still running because he thinks they “fulfill a niche on this campus. We are really different.” Most of the students in the organization don’t have a lot of school spirit; they are introverted and don’t feel like they belong in other groups on campus, said Weber. However, in the Medieval Society, everyone gets to be themselves, said Weber.

Learn more about upcoming UCO Medieval Society events here.