Historical re-（法の）制定 fan who has never had a beach holiday says `消費するing´ hobby builds her self-信用／信任
A woman who has never been on a beach holiday because her life has been “消費するd” by her hobby as a historical re-enactor, where she makes her own 衣装s, cooks 18th century dinners, and 参加するs in 戦う／戦い re-（法の）制定s and balls, has said “keeping history alive” gives her self-信用／信任.
Pia Gerbaulet, 37, from Finland, said she was “誘惑するd” into the world of historical re-制定するing by 事故 ? and it all started when she …に出席するd a Wild West festival as a 十代の少年少女, where she 棒 a mechanical bull while wearing a corset, and later became the “Saloon Madame”.
“I took care of the musicians and danced on the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する for one night and it was so much fun; you could definitely say it started from the Wild West,” Pia told PA Real Life.
In her teenage years, she struggled with her 団体／死体 image and “never felt pretty”, but after …に出席するing Wild West festivals and discovering historical 衣装s, she said she felt “解放する／自由な”.
“I started to feel self-確信して and pretty in the historical 着せる／賦与するing and not just an ugly duckling ? that’s what 誘発するd my 利益／興味 even more,” Pia explained.
Pia at a picnic at Lohja Museum, wearing a 19th century gown she made (Mia Kivialho/PA Real Life)
She had always loved learning about history and 成し遂げるing and, after 会合 other re-enactors, she started to …に出席する and organise events across the globe, 含むing 18th century balls, 収穫 feasts, and 戦う／戦い re-（法の）制定s, with her favourite 存在 the 1627 戦う／戦い of Grolle last year.
Pia 成し遂げるd the 役割 of water 運送／保菌者 and said her “glory moment” 伴う／関わるd helping 負傷させるd 兵士s while horses and hundreds of 兵士s 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d across the 行う／開催する／段階d 戦場.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had such an adrenaline 急ぐ,” Pia said.
Pia building up the campsite with GARS Harmaasudet in the 注ぐing rain at the 戦う／戦い of Grolle re-（法の）制定 in 2022 (Mervi Pasanen/PA Real Life)
“People were 詠唱するing and 叫び声をあげるing because the water was splashing everywhere and I was running very の近くに to the audience, and I just knelt 負かす／撃墜する and said, ‘Hello, I’ve come to save you. Do you want some water? We need to get you out of here, horses are coming’.”
Pia learns about history and “the stories of real people” through reading, watching films, and …に出席するing museums, and she has a wardrobe 特に for her 衣装s, which 範囲 from the 17th century to the 早期に 1900s.
She also 貸付金s uniforms and 従犯者s when needed, such as a 大砲 boy 衣装.
Pia said `いつかs you misbehave in the wrong place´ (Collect/PA Real Life)
While it is an expensive and time-消費するing hobby and “there is no 高級な in it” for her, she said she loves 会合 like-minded people, broadening her knowledge, and most importantly, 最高潮の場面ing through different 役割s that “women have never been absent from history”.
“Many people think that women were only there to cook for men, clean for them, and serve them, and that would not be 歴史的に 訂正する, so that is not what I do,” Pia said.
“So, whenever there’s an 適切な時期 to do something that w omen 現実に did, like carry water or save the 負傷させるd, I’m in.”
Pia said she does not take herself too 本気で when she is dressed up in 衣装s (Mia Kivialho/PA Real Life)
She 追加するd: “I don’t take myself too 本気で when I’m dressed up in 衣装s, but for me, the most important part is keeping history alive and recreating things that we’ve forgotten.”
Pia said she has always had a fascination for stories, but when it （機の）カム to learning about history at school, she “thought it was politics and war and that’s it ? nothing else”.
Over time, Pia “got more drawn to it” and started to …に出席する events with historical re-enactors, 含むing 戦う／戦い re-（法の）制定s and balls in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Estonia.
Pia wearing an outfit she made for the 戦う／戦い of Grolle re-（法の）制定 in 2022 in the Netherlands (Mervi Pasanen/PA Real Life)
The largest re-（法の）制定s have been the 戦う／戦い of Leipzig in Germany, the 戦う／戦い of Waterloo in Belgium, and the 戦う／戦い of Grolle in the Netherlands.
She said the 戦う／戦い re-（法の）制定s have “opened her 注目する，もくろむs to the 複雑さ and 悲劇” of wars and given her a “greater understanding of past events” through a 3D experience ? but most importantly, for Pia, playing women’s 役割s have 許すd her to “bring women’s history alive”.
She said: “Of course, 解雇する／砲火／射撃ing a 大砲 at the 戦う／戦い of Waterloo was 広大な／多数の／重要な, I 絶対 loved it, but I find it more important to re-制定する active women in history.
Pia 解雇する／砲火／射撃ing a 大砲 at the 1815 戦う／戦い of Waterloo re-（法の）制定 in 2015 (Markku Arvonen/PA Real Life)
“The organisers of Grolle 手配中の，お尋ね者 us to go and save the men who were lying in the 溝へはまらせる／不時着する ? they were told to be 負傷させるd and 死体s, so they couldn’t move and break the illusion.
“I started running and people were like, ‘Is Pia going to attack the entire army alone?’
“選ぶing them up and trying to look like we were helping the 負傷させるd ? I think that was my glory moment.”
Pia visiting Mustio Manor in Finland (Collect/PA Real Life)
Pia explained that she has だいたい 20 to 40 衣装s, 衣料品s, and unfinished 事業／計画（する）s in total, which are kept in a 明確な／細部 wardrobe in her apartment.
The 衣装s are made by Pia herself or her friends using new or 再生利用するd 構成要素s and, depending on the fabrics and design, they can cost thousands.
Pia enjoys “存在 goofy in historical 着せる／賦与するing” and showing that corsets ar e not “拷問 装置s” to her thousands of 信奉者s on Instagram and TikTok, and she even cooks meals using 伝統的な recipes ? this has 含むd a “macabre dinner” for a French 革命-主題d ball.
Pia 持つ／拘留するing the meringue 寺 she made at an 18th century ball (Markku Arvonen/PA Real Life)
She is a member of several historical re-（法の）制定 societies and frequently 作品 with museums to organise events, such as balls, 収穫 feasts, and festivals, throughout the year in Finland and どこかよそで, as she hopes to make the hobby as accessible as possible and continue educating others.
“You don’t have to be perfect to do these things, this hobby, as it’s supposed to be fun and help spread 認識／意識性,” she said.
“We have events that are open for the public, and then we have events that aren’t, that are 私的な, and most re-enactors prefer the 私的な ones because one of the most important 面s of re-（法の）制定 is to be able to immerse yourself in the time period.”
A morning picture of a re-（法の）制定 （軍の）野営地，陣営 in Norway (Collect/PA Real Life)
Pia’s hobby is expensive, “life-消費するing”, and 要求するs “lots of work”, but she said she loves “bringing the stories of real people to life”, 生き返らせるing forgotten moments, 会合 people from different cultural backgrounds, and going to “special places that are not open for everybody”.
While “all of (her) money has gone to re-（法の）制定” and she has “never been on a beach holiday anywhere”, she said there is never a dull moment in her life, she is never bored, and she always has unfinished 事業／計画（する）s or 衣装s and 従犯者s to make.
Pia visiting Lebell´s Merchant House at Kristinestad, Finland (@rococoatelier/PA Real Life)
“With re-（法の）制定, you get to see what goes on behind the curtains, behind の近くにd doors, and working with total strangers to 達成する a ありふれた goal is fun and 利益／興味ing,” she said.
“It’s a lovely hobby, and I would recommend anyone who’s 利益／興味d to try it out; you will never get bored or lonely again.”
You can find out more about Pia and her hobby 経由で her Instagram or TikTok at @stepsbackintothepast
