THE PICTAE
A Pictae was the name used by the Roman Navy for a small boat
used to chase English Channel pirates and also for a native British craft
A REENACTMENT GROUP BASED
ON AUTHENTIC REPLICA
BOATS based in Wiltshire, England
BUT anywhere
you live we can be relevant for you if you love boats and history.
WHY?
LIVING AND PADDLING IN ANTIQUITY-
When you embark in a boat like a coracle you are
experiencing exactly what everybody throughout history has felt as they feel
for balance and the nerve to sit. In other words, you are living history
itself. This oneness with the past can be felt when pulling a bow or riding a
horse or even walking thirsty over Moor or Down.
Those of us who have an interest in history and a yen to
find out what it was really like can visit sites such as the Crannog Centre or
Peat Moors in
This multi-period group has the common theme of getting
afloat in history. The idea is that there may never be more than a very few who
want to reenact from any one period but these small interest groups combined
could offer a service to people putting on historical shows and even
film-makers could be interested. Most of all they could have fun on water and
on land.
The coracle is the obvious boat to start the fleet with
as they can claim to be the oldest and longest lasting boat extant. Plus many
people already have them. Along with the coracle the next stage is probably a currach and I want to experiment with a series of
canoe-sized replicas of pre-historic boats, Ferriby
and Hjortspring boats are obvious candidates or even
a Poole Canoe. Building out of authentic materials would be nice but modern may
well be used for speed and economy although a long-term project of a dugout war
canoe or large skin boat is possible if the enthusiam
is there.
THE IMAGE
Imagine us with a
settlement in somewhere like the
slightly out of time so we can return to participate at any period in the Dark Ages that we choose.
A group of Dark Age semi-outlaws from different tribes we live by the water and fish, trade and raid
We might take part in a large-scale
campaign if the spirit moves us.
Our Boats
Coracles Currachs
Dugouts Punts and Faerings
Boats of the Bronze Age,
Canoes of all ages.
Other country’s boats interest
us-do you want to renact with Umiaks
and Bull-boats?
Living History
Warfare
If the cause or the loot is
enough
Experimental Archaeology
Build and trial how small grain boats could have
navigated small streams,
did the Romans really
collect their tribute like this.
What
could a small raiding party in a paddling boat really steal and do?
Building a Saxon war canoe to find out.