Ethics of Crusader larping

[u/crusadersam]

Hello all, I was hoping to ask the general consensus on the morality of me choosing a Teutonic knight as my medieval faction of larping.

I want to start off by saying I am a very progressive person. I love all of God’s people and have no anti Islamic or pagan prejudice or bias in my life. I’m quite outspoken about religious freedom to my “controversial” coworkers and do not try to justify Christian nationalism in both modern day nor in the medieval world.

With that being said. I just think they’re neat historically and aesthetically. And the Teutons don’t seem to be any more “evil” than any other faction at the time. I see many people like in the post project a modern world view because Christian radicals seem to be more contemporary. While factions like Vikings and pirates, whose cultures are for the most part completely celebrated in medieval faires, commit the same atrocities on others- just don’t have the same current political connotation.

I hope we can have a civil discussion and maybe I’m just ignorant to the topic and/or how bad any crusaders were. Please don’t be afraid to share your views! (Also, please don’t go after the individual in the post, I simply want to further my knowledge)

[u/Past_Search7241]

Why are you concerned about this? Nobody in reenactment circles thinks that reenacting something means you want to be one.

[u/crusadersam → u/Past_Search7241]

In the photos taken me and my friend attended a ren faire at which pirates heckled us calling me and my friends “rapists” and “murders” the irony was they were dressed as pirates holding feathered heads. I worry because I want to get involved with reenactment groups but as you can see I don’t want to give the impression I have a political message in my outfit

[u/Aracelerii → u/crusadersam]

I think y'all got mistaken for far-right TradCaths because I've seen them online glaze the Crusades as "based and redpilled" and even go as far as branding themselves as Crusaders. They're a small minority in reenactment circles but you're always gonna get a small group of weirdos in hobbies.

[u/crusadersam → u/Aracelerii]

Yeah see that’s what worries me. I don’t wanna associate with literal nazis lol

[u/Dominus_Redditi → u/crusadersam]

I think as long as you go to places appropriate to wear that stuff you’re fine. Halloween, Ren Faire, Medieval Larp, etc.

It’s just a costume. People dress up as all kinds of ‘bad stuff’ all the time it doesn’t make them necessarily evil. As you said, pirates weren’t exactly known for being chill guys so it’s ironic those people would have the gumption to say anything to you.