Playing King Alfred: Historical reenactment and cosplay of Alfred the Great

Abstract

Playing King Alfred is indicative of a new form of practice-based research that not only explores but actively cocreates the meaning of the icon of Alfred the Great in the first quarter of the twenty-first century. Rooted in two vastly different traditions—historical reenactment and cosplay—the fans playing Alfred blend elements of living history with their representations of visual culture. Their costumes are very similar from a design point of view, but there are fundamental differences in quality and production. The motivations for playing Alfred largely overlap, as fans from both groups mention their love for history, the sense of belonging, and a feeling of nostalgia. Combined, these motivations hint at a religious function of playing Alfred, similar to that of the passion plays. The simulacra produced in these practices, such as the Chi-Rho symbol, produce new meaning. By their rewriting of the texts and border-crossing performances, the fans playing Alfred create a space in between, where reenactment and cosplay collide.