time – Living History in the Star Wars Galaxy

How long is a Podrace?

Before I went on Appalachian Trail thru-hiking blog-hiatus, some dedicated Star Wars ‘reenactors’ and I were kicking around ideas for some sort of asynchronous long-distance trek or ‘ruck’ challenge we might organize in the future. We started by brainstorming any known distances from the Saga materials, and one of the first things that came up was the Mos Espa Arena podrace circuit. We figured if the length of the racetrack could be determined, it might serve as a nice basis for some sort of virtual relay race. The question was…how long was it?

As has become disppointingly apparent in my attempts to apply the rigors of realism to the galactic setting, because 90% of stories told under the Star Wars banner are purely plot-driven, the mundane details of life are too often nonexistent. Or if they are included, it is done in the most minutiae-focused manner and overlooks the more relatable pieces of information. Or, to paraphrase Maw Installation Redditor FlavivsAetivs, “plot and visual aesthetics—not technical specifications or internal consistency—are the primary focus of Star Wars“.

Case in point: the Boonta Eve Classic podrace! I could easily tell you the names of all the formations or obstacles on the race course, the names, species, and homeworlds of each racer, which racers did not finish the race, which racers completed the course, how fast they did so, and their average speed. But I have thus far been unable to find any mention of the distance the race covered. Unfortunately for us, the Boonta is not like the Indy 500 (the distance is right there in the name). However, a little math does allow us to calculate the length of the race course!

Marking a milestone

It’s hard to believe, but this week marks this blog’s second anniversary, which means I’ve somehow been rolling out research, how-tos, analyses, and projects for the last two full years – all part of my continuing efforts to make the Galaxy Far, Far Away a legitimate setting for ‘historic’ reenacting.
Many thanks to those of you who have stopped by, liked posts, made great comments, subscribed to the blog, and even joined the conversations over on the SWLH facebook group!

If you’re just joining us, please check out the FIRST STEPS page to see just what Star Wars living history is all about, then leave a comment and introduce yourself below. Here’s to many more years of galactic ‘historic interpretation’ and ‘reenacting’ to come! May the Force be with you!

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the New Republic Archaeological Corps: groundwork for a new persona

As satisfying as it can be to gear up and authentically get out in one’s kit, I have to admit that the brainstorm/planning and obligatory research phases might be my favorite parts of the reenacting hobby. Taking the kernel of an idea, following rabbitholes, and seeing what can evolve out of it can really get my creative juices flowing…especially if it’s working towards a kit that’s not something we’ve seen a thousand times before! It’s one thing to say, ‘I want to put together a Rebel Fleet Trooper kit’ and then buy/sew the requisite black vest, blue shirt, gray pants, and boots, and buy/craft the swoop helmet and blaster pistol. It’s another thing altogether to ask, ‘I wonder how the average Corellian dressed?’ and then research, make a plan, and make it come alive! Continue reading “the New Republic Archaeological Corps: groundwork for a new persona”

The Cure for Temporal Headaches

Whenever you begin putting together a new persona (in any setting, fictional or historical), it always helps to firmly ground yourself in a specific time. This is simply Good Living History—the narrower the range, the more focused your research can be, contributing to a more accurate impression. If you’re portraying a ‘longhunter’ (an 18^th century market hunter), you don’t want to be drawing your ‘outer persona’ (aka clothing and accoutrements) from the 1720s or 1790s (even though they’re technically still in the 18^th century); rather, you would focus on the 1750s through 1770s, since that’s the period in which these folks operated. If you have enough information from primary or secondary sources, you can even pin your impression down to a specific year, month, or week (this becomes easier to do the closer to the present one gets, as the amount of raw information (and therefore, potential sources) increases exponentially).
Deciding on a specific span of time makes your persona more authentic, especially if you’ve done your research.
Continue reading “The Cure for Temporal Headaches”