Armed with a brand-new dome tent, I was now ready for the SECOND Weekend at Excalibur: HUZZAH! The weather, of course, turned contrary at that point. For the next five weekends in a row, in fact, there was nary a drop of rain! Not that it didn't rain DURING the week: indeed, the jousts for Closing Weekend had to be cancelled as the Tournament Field was simply far too wet and muddy for the safety of both knights and steeds. But at least the festival weekends were (relatively) dry! Which was a good thing for Excalibur as the faire tried something new and different this year: namely, the story of Robin Hood and Ivanhoe. As the Festival Program put it:

"In the Year of Our Lord 1191, when Richard, the Lion-Heart, set forth to drive the infidels from the Holy Land, he gave the Regency of his Kingdom to his trusted friend Longchamp instead of to his treacherous brother, Prince John (Photo, Above: King Richard, played by John Wright, receives royal acclaim from Robin Hood and other bystanders as the Ivanhoe storyline moves toward its' dramatic climax). Bitterly resentful, John hoped for some disaster to befall Richard so that he, with the help of the Norman barons, might seize the throne for himself. And then on a luckless day for the Saxons..."



"Thus begins the tale of (the) 2004 season of Excalibur Fantasy Faire. We (took) a one year depart from our beloved Arthurian legends (to) tell the even better known, thrilling story of Robin Hood...(Photo, Above: Robin Hood as played by Justin Baxley, backed up by Will Scarlett (Mark Jones) and Little John (Allen Linnen, Jr.) confront the evil Sir Guy (Paul Clontz) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Hamby) before the Main Gate to Excalibur).
The Robin Hood legend, in its proper setting and time period, is an undertaking not usually taken by faires or festivals; our telling (was) an authentic, fast paced, and exciting retelling of the popular legend. Joining Robin (was) his brave band of Merry Men, including Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and Much, as well as the ever beautiful and virtuous Maid Marian. Thwarting Robin and his fight against injustices (was) the villainous Guy of Gisbourne, the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham, and the cunning Prince John (Photo, Below, as played by David Baxter, Prince John plots even more mischief with his henchmen, the Sheriff of Nottingham and Sir Guy of Gisbourne), who (was) trying to steal the kingdom from Richard the Lionhearted while he (was) held captive in Austria by King Leopold!"



"As the talented players of Excalibur (brought) the story of Robin Hood to life, they also present(ed) the legend of the courageous Saxon Knight, Ivanhoe!
The epitome of the chivalric Knight, the tale of Ivanhoe (swept) you into Medieval England and the lives of a memorable cast of characters. Ivanhoe, a trusted ally of Richard the Lionhearted, returns from the Crusades to reclaim the inheritance his father denied him. Rebecca, a vibrant and beautiful Jewish woman, is defended by Ivanhoe against a charge of witchcraft -- but it is Lady Rowena who is Ivanhoe's true love (Photo, Below: the Lady Rowena as played by Whitney Rowlett and Sir Ivanhoe as played by Gary Rockwood lead the mid-afternoon "Royal Procession" at Excalibur). The wicked Prince John plots to usurp England's throne, but two of the most popular heroes in all of English literature, Richard-the-Lion-Hearted and the well-loved outlaw Robin Hood, team up to defeat the Normans and regain the castle."

The Ivanhoe storyline was quite a refreshing change of pace for Excalibur, to say the least. Not that I mind the Arthurian legend: recreating King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table offers ample opportunity for colorful pageantry, lots of high drama and plenty of exciting swordsmanship and lanceplay to keep your average fairegoer entertained all day long. Throw in some High Elves, Goblins and Faeries and the photo opportunities at Excalibur simply abound! As a photographer, however, it becomes increasingly difficult trying to present new views and capture different angles of essentially the same event...an event which barely changes from one year to the next. I mean, you can only take so many portraits of Lancelot and Gueneviere together -- or Arthur confronting Mordred, or Morgan LeFey plotting with her henchmen -- before terminal cliche sets in! For that reason alone if nothing else, I TRULY appreciated all the time and effort which the cast and krewe of Excalibur put into making their Ivanhoe storyline come alive. It was new, it was different and it provided more than enough photo ops to keep this photographer happily snapping away with his camera all season long (Photo, Below: the Lady Rowena presents the Victor's Wreath to Ivanhoe at the Lists amid enthusiastic cheers of congratulation and admiration)!

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Standard Disclaimer: This webpage is strictly an *Unofficial* look at the Excalibur Renaissance Festival held near Bastrop, TX. The author of these pages is in no way, shape, manner or form connected with the Excalibur Renaissance Festival (OFFICE ADDRESS: 1007 Main St., Suite E, Bastrop, TX 78602) and/or any of the sponsors associated with this event. All opinions expressed are strictly this author's own. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are copyright ©2000-2005 by George Laking.

This page created 6 March 2005