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What is the Knights Guild?
Why the 12th Century?
What is a Guild?
Join the Knights Guild
The Wyverns Whisper
See the Knights Guild in action
Articles of interest
Core Knowledge for Novices
Contact the Knights Guild
Photos from
BMF 2002
Member Info
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What is the Knights Guild?
The Knights Guild of Wessex and Mercia is an historical group with the aim of researching and presenting life in England of the twelfth century renaissance. It is structured to replicate similar groups in the middle ages in order to lend authenticity to its presentations. The Guild members meet on regular occasions either in general meetings (Guildmoots or Open Castles) or for specialist activities, such as the fighting group (Dragon's Lance), the music group (Garderobe), youth group (Gebeorscip), craft workshops, talks and discussions. The Guild behaves as any other group of people with a common interest and wears normal clothing for most of these occasions. When it comes time to present, the Guild sheds its jeans and t-shirts and all the trappings of the twenty-first century and emerges in the dress, manners and attitudes of nine centuries ago.
But one warning: the Guild is about presentation of history, not fantasy. Dragons, wizards and elves do not feature. Nor can potential members expect to pretend to be princesses and earls: the Guild portrays typical people and if there is a need for a merchant, beggar, priest or alewife (or a dish washer in the kitchen) members are expected to take on those roles for the occasion.
How long has the Knights Guild been around?
The Guild evolved from a holiday theme camp in 1980. When the camp was over the leaders concerned became involved in a medieval theme in a primary school class, then a presentation at a fete... and after two years when more people were becoming interested in the group and the requests for performances were getting more frequent, the Guild found itself a name, a membership structure, and regular events. We operated as a club from then until 1995 when the group incorporated as an association.
At the time there were no other medieval groups in Brisbane so the Guild was inventing all the time. From the start the Guild divided its activities between research and performance, finding information and presenting it in a variety of ways from school visits to birthday parties. It chose to be inclusive so that anyone who had the interest and wanted to put in the effort should be able to be involved. Recreating a fictional guild of the twelfth century was fun and helped provide a structure for role play by Guild members, an important part of involving people in twelfth century life.
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