Abbey Medieval Festival honours the fantastic beasts

TAKE a step back in time when horses, falcons and farm animals were the difference between life and death at this year’s Abbey Medieval Festival.

Don’t miss this year’s Abbey Medieval Festival. Photo: Dominika Lis.

MODERN technology spares us most of the miseries of medieval life, but in 500AD animals were the difference between life and death.

This year’s Abbey Medieval Festival will be a celebration of the extraordinary animals that made feudal life survivable.

Peasants relied on sheep for wool, meat and milk. Monks used sheepskin for parchment. Crusaders rode into foreign wars on horseback and camel caravans opened trade routes to the east, developing commercial economics.

“War horses shaped ancient battlefields up until the end of the Middle Ages, when their plate armour became useless against long-range weapons; as the numerically superior French cavalry came up against British archers in the Battle of Agincourt,” festival organiser Paula Winkel says.

“Falcons and hawks will be a big feature this year to give festival-goers the opportunity to get up close and personal with the birds and beasts at the abbey.

“We’ve got farm animals with genetics harking back to the Viking age, Arabic horses that are almost identical in size to 1000 years ago, we’ve even got the canine ancestors of some of the world’s oldest documented dog breeds – like the Irish wolfhound and saluki.”

Animals will be the focus of this year’s Abbey Medieval Festival. Photo: Dominika Lis.

It’s this attention to detail that makes the Caboolture festival the most authentic medieval event in the Southern Hemisphere.

“We’re purists, we want this (festival) to look, sound, smell and feel as much like the Middle and Dark Ages as possible,” Paula says. “Animals are key to that and a whole lot of detail and research goes into designing the medieval costumes for their handlers, the type of fencing and cages, right down to the leather gear for the horses and dogs.

“Yes it’s slightly obsessive and we have to refer to old manuscripts to make sure we get every detail correct; but there’s also a lot of satisfaction that goes behind making the attire to fit us and the animals perfectly.

“That’s why we attract more than 30,000 visitors each year, for two days of non-stop feasting, music, dancing and drama.

“Our festival is all about fun, adventure and history. So, come travel back in time with us and have a blast.”

Don’t miss this year’s Abbey Medieval Festival. Photo: Dominika Lis.

FESTIVAL FACTS

WHERE: Abbey Medieval Festival is held at 1-63 The Abbey Place, Caboolture

WHO: The festival is run by the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology

WHEN: July 14-15

COST: For information visit abbeymedievalfestival.com