Beyond the demonstration of medieval everyday life we give presentations to grant a deeper insight into several aspects of 12th century culture. Particularly we focus on working out the differentiation of typical aspects of the social classes in feudal society.

In the course of our societies long lasting work the following presentations have been developed:

• Knighting Ceremony
• Female Clothing and Fashion
• Male Clothing and Fashion
• Military Equipment and Weaponry
• Use of Sword and Shield
• Music
• Kubb
• Dyeing

All these topics can be adjusted, even according to the respective ages for schools and kindergartens. Additionally there is a concept for lectures which has been proven several times to be successful. The lectures are arranged in ascending order and last 90-120 minutes each. All subjects can be further detailed and can be started with a general introduction on medieval culture.

The knighting ceremony which we perform is the earlier form of the better-known dubbing ceremony. It represents the splendid end to years of preparation for the knight-to-be. In the High Middle Ages it is a set ritual with only minor regional variations.

The performance, reconstructed from original sources, starts with the squire stepping before his feudal lord wearing a spotless robe and taking his oath of allegiance. The oath is accompanied by symbolic acts, the most important of which is the girding of the sword and the laying on of the spurs, usually golden, as a sign of his entry into knighthood. In the 12th century the knighting ceremony does not come with a change of social class.

While a noble lady is being dressed and a maid servant gets herself dressed we explain common and differentiating elements of their cloths. We focus especially on the different fabrics, cuts and manufacture. Particularly the functional and representative aspects of clothing are pointed out, which already have lead to several fashions in the 12th century.

Analogical to "Female clothing and fashion" a noble lord and a man of lower social status are being dressed. Again the typical aspects of the social classes are in the focus of this presentation.

This demonstration begins with a differentiation of military and civilian clothing. Developments and variations of military armour and weapons are being explained while men-at-arms prepare themselves for battle.

We give a commented insight into medieval fighting on foot. Our explanations are based on thorough studies of primary sources and show common and feasible techniques of the weapons used. At first the techniques are shown in slow motion and then embedded in a fighting sequence. Our demonstration covers simple striking techniques, feints, the use of the shield as a weapon and decisive actions to end the fight.

Like all our other activities we also based the musical programme completely on 12th century sources. We present secular vocal music in different contemporary languages along with a vivid scenic interpretation. Essential parts of this program are the explanations of background and content of the performed songs.

Those who had some leisure time available did use it - like peoples from all epochs - to play. Kubb - a throwing game already known by the Vikings - has still been very popular in the Middle Ages. During a match the progress and the rules of the game are being explained.

Adequate conditions provided we are able to dye fabrics and threads during an event on our campsite. Since this is a time intensive process, we can alternatively offer a summarizing lecture on medieval dyeing methods and plants. Using comprehensive demonstration material we show the different means of access to colours for the respective social classes.

This topic is also offered as a separate lecture enhanced with multimedia features.