Live Interpretation
Interactive timeline - Conflict
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450 BC
Battle of Plataea
Final major battle of the Greco-Persian Wars; ending the expansion of the Persian Empire into Greece.
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1260 AD
Battle of 'Ain Jalut
'Ayn Jalut was a major world event. The first time a Mongol army was defeated in open battle.
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1346 AD
Battle of Crécy
First land victory of the '100 Years War' for English infantry over French mounted knights.
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1453 AD
Siege of Constantinople
The fall of Constantinople was the first great siege won with gunpowder artillery.
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1525 AD
Battle of Pavia
First significant victory by infantry with firearms over fully armoured knights on the battlefield.
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1526 AD
Battle of Panipat
A traditional Indian army with war elephants is beaten by artillery and infantry musketeers.
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1588 AD
Defeat of Spanish Armada
Spain's attempt to invade England ended when English ships with superior guns defeated its Armada.
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1600 AD
Battle of Sekigahara
100 years of civil war ends. Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu's dynasty rules Japan for the next 250 years.
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1645 AD
Battle of Naseby
Charles I defeated. He is arrested, tried and executed. Parliament rules England as a republic.
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1815 AD
Battle of Waterloo
Wellington described Napoleon's defeat as a 'close run thing'. The battle's outcome shaped Europe.
Origins
The Interpretation department at the Royal Armouries was established in 1995 prior to the opening of the Leeds site and was the first of its kind in this country.
Under the direction of John Waller the department was established to bring the Museum’s collection to life through daily displays of historical combat, horsemanship and acted interpretations, revealing the stories of the people and lives behind the objects.
The Interpretation department in Leeds consists of seven full-time Interpreters,
and six dedicated rider-interpreters who work with the Museum’s horses to produce a range of historical riding displays. The department also includes Wardrobe mistresses who research, source and create costumes as well as manage maintenance and repairs.
We also have interpreters at our Fort Nelson site too.
What we do
The department provides entertaining and educational Interpretations suitable for all ages, which are performed in one of our main ‘stage’ areas in the Museum’s galleries, such as the War Stage and Tournament Arena.
There are over sixty different Interpretations ranging from Gladiator Combat in the Amphitheatre outside the Museum to first-hand accounts of experiences in Vietnam and Bosnia.
Sword and armoured combat displays reveal some of the techniques and skills of combat, based on original manuscripts and techniques, including Medieval Two-handed Sword, Sword and Shield and Elizabethan Sword masters.
After each Interpretation, staff are available to answer any questions and for visitors to handle objects from the collection, bringing them closer to the histories behind the objects.
An interpreters role
The role of an Interpreter at the Museum is both varied and demanding. An average day can involve a range of Interpretations and time spent in the galleries with visitors, in addition to researching, developing new ideas, rehearsing and training.
From talks and combat demonstrations to acted character pieces based on first hand accounts related to the Museum’s collection of arms and armour, the Interpretation department’s in-depth research and understanding of the collection, historical periods and people, gives them the background and passion to accurately portray characters from throughout history.
Horse shows
There are also the daily Horse shows performed by the Royal Armouries very own horses and team of Rider-Interpreters. The Horse Shows run from March to October and can be seen in the purpose built Tiltyard to the side of the museum.
Horse shows include Jousting, Tudor Riding Skills and Horse Archers from the Past. The Museum’s seven horses reside in the Menagerie Court which also houses birds of prey which can be seen in action in Falconry displays from March to October. The Menagerie Court is open to visitors daily from March to October when the horses are not out at grass for the winter.
Tournaments
The Museum hosts the International Team Jousting Tournament over Easter weekend where riders from all over the world compete for the prestigious Royal Armouries Sword of Honour.
Over the August Bank Holiday weekend the Museum hosts the Individual Jousting Championships, where riders compete for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Trophy.
These are some of the busiest times of year for the Museum as it is all hands on deck to ensure the events run smoothly and our Interpreters are in top form for the competitions.
Find out more
A new book on Live Interpretation with further information, case studies and images is due to be published by the Royal Armouries this year. Details will be posted on this website.
Our interpreters are also available for hire. So if you would like to add something special to your event why not contact us.
Lisa Turton
Tel: 0113 220 1996
Email: lisa.turton@armouries.org.uk