Realm Collections Blog

The “Wild West” was the name given to the era in the American West when it seemed like law & order did not exist at all. It was a period in American history when the crime rate was shooting off the roof and legendary outlaws were roaming the streets. The likes of outlaws Billy the Kid and Jesse James, the Texas Rangers with Wyatt Earp as one of its frontier law officers, and sharpshooter Calamity Jane are just a few of the most popular figures in the Wild West. They were categorized into the good guys and the bad guys.

On the other hand, many of the new towns in the American West emerged and flourished with little crime or problems resulting from this. However, the real problem in law & order started during the Gold Rush when many Americans settled by the thousands in gold mining areas in the West. Brawls and duels were plenty due to disputes in many saloons, brothels, and gambling dens that also mushroomed everywhere because of the gold rush.

Mob justice was very popular then when a miner could experience injustice. Members of the jury who were also miners decided whether the accused should be convicted or freed. This was the reason why many vigilante groups were confident to break the law and then use the miner’s courts to eliminate their enemies. When Native Americans (Indians) and other insurgents became a threat to land and other properties, the frontier was protected by the Texas Rangers. However, some of these frontiersmen also became outlaws themselves.

Aside from the vigilantes who took the law into their own hands, duels were popular ways to end a dispute or to acquire justice by one person who felt dissatisfied with the decision of a court of law. Many states were against this practice but many, if not most, of these duelers were never caught or charged with committing a crime. The popularity of dueling worsened the conditions of law and order in the Wild West. It was only by the latter years of the 19th century, just before the American Civil War that conditions improved and crime was curtailed by the laws of state.

To bring out the Wild West in you, drop by Old West collectibles for other inspiration.

The Battle of Gettysburg happened in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1863 during the American Civil War. This was part of the Gettysburg Campaign wherein many people lost their lives as the Union’s Army of Potomac led by Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade defeated the Confederate’s Army of Northern Virginia led by General Robert E. Lee. The Battle of Gettysburg lasted from the 1st to the 3rd of July in 1863.

The Battle of Gettysburg was considered to be the turning point of the American Civil War because it destroyed the Confederates offensive strategy to invade majority of the North after Lee and his troops defeated the Army of Potomac at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Lee and his Confederate comrades pushed this invasion so that the North will recognize the independence of the Confederate States of America. The Army of Potomac under the Union General Meade had a pool of about 85, 000 men while the Confederate Army led by General Lee started out with soldiers numbering around 75, 000 before fighting at Gettysburg.

The battle began in July 1st outside Gettysburg wherein many soldiers from the Union troops were either killed or taken as prisoners by the Confederates. On this first day of battle, Federal General John Reynolds was killed while Confederate General Archer was captured. The second and third days of the Battle of Gettysburg saw the continuous slaughter and show of war skills between the two troops. Eventually General Lee, lacking manufacturing capacity and transportation facilities, retreated to Virginia on the night of July 4th without Meade making a counterattack due primarily to heavy rains. At the end of this battle it was accounted that the Union Army had about 23,000 casualties while the Confederates lost around 25,000 of their men, truly making the Battle of Gettysburg as the battle with the most casualties during the American Civil War.

For Civil War Collectibles, including clothing, pistols, swords, and accessories, drop by realmcollections.com.

Jesse James is one of the most famous outlaws in the Old West and was known to be the local Robin Hood during this era. He was part of the James-Younger Gang that was known to have fought as part of a group of Confederate guerillas in Missouri during the American Civil War but eventually became a group of robbers. Jesse James together with his brother Frank and his gang robbed banks, trains and stagecoaches in many different western states that include Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, and West Virginia.

The life of Jesse James had been a series of tragedies and trials overshadowed by the American Civil War. The first tragedy happened when his father died when he was three years old. This was followed by the onset of conflict between the Confederates and the Union Federal militia. Missouri, Jesse James’ home state, was caught in between as well as many Southern families because they chose to sympathize with the Confederates. His family’s farm, home and crops were destroyed, their material possessions taken away, and they were beaten and abused by members of the Federal militia. All of these led to Jesse and his brother Frank’s decision to live their lives by the gun which eventually pushed them into a life of outlaws.

Jesse James became very famous because of his ways of escaping different situations such as the story about being shot while trying to surrender to Archie Clement, being a sharpshooter, being the American Robin Hood because he stood against corporations in defense of the poor farmer, and having survived his death. He is considered as a hero instead of an outlaw because of his contribution to the Confederates and is still being portrayed as a heroic outlaw in many Wild West movies and TV shows until present times because of his adventures.

For Old West Collectibles and Civil War Collectibles, visit realmcollections.com.

The Medieval times or the Middle Ages happened from the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century. During this span of time, the Medieval era was divided into three ages: Antiquity, Middle Ages and Modern Times. Due to these different “ages,” it is quite obvious that clothes and fashion have changed hands several times.  In earlier times, most people wore loose linen or wool tunics but eventually clothing became more complicated as people begin to learn how to design clothes as well as discriminate according to social standing.

Most Medieval men during this era wore tunics down to their knees but old men and monks wore long tunics in their daily lives. However, Medieval men also wore long tunics for parties and ceremonies. Subsequently, wearing pants under the tunics caught on not only as part of a fashion trend but because of practical reasons. It was more comfortable and warm to wear pants while riding a horse especially during cold climates. Another form of pants worn during this time, most especially by noblemen were the tights. However, these pair of tights is not the kind we know today since knitting was not yet invented during the earlier part of the Middle Ages. Thus, tights were worn loose under the tunics. Wool cloaks and leather were also worn to keep themselves warm.

Medieval men wore different outfits according to their status in life most particularly from the 11th century to the latter part of the Middle Ages. Peasants wore simple clothes usually made of wool or rough cloth; nobility wore more expensive and detailed clothes with emphasis on the sleeves of the garments; and knights wore surcoats designed with their coat of arms or family crest. By the end of 13th century, other forms of clothing were designed and used by Medieval men and these include undershirts, briefs, stockings, cloaks, jackets, hooded robes (often worn by monks), hats, pants, coats, boots, belts and other accessories, among many others.

For more Medieval clothing, drop by the Medieval and Renaissance Clothing department of realmcollections.

Once you set the perfect (and authentic mood) with costumes, decorations, food, music, and entertainment, your guests will enjoy your Medieval or Renaissance party whether or not they dress up themselves.

Even if you are not too well-versed in Medieval or Renaissance History, a quick research trip at your local library, bookstore, or online can give you a sampling of various concepts you might want to use.

Here are a few ideas for throwing a Medieval or Renaissance party to start from:

1. If you are loaded on ideas but low on cash for decorations, there are many items available that can be used as accents in your house for just a little bit over $10.00. These include a Pewter Holy Trinity Wall Cross, Celtic Geometric Wine Glass (that can be used as candle holders), and if you can afford upwards of $40.00, decorative Dragon Wine Bottle Holders will make a truly memorable place (or places) to serve your fine wines from.

2.  You can also show Medieval or Renaissance movies on your screens to get your guests in the mood. Some popular titles include “The Lion in Winter,” “Robin Hood,” “El Cid,” and “Excalibur,” among many others.

3.  For entertainment, you can stage a mock sword fight using stage combat swords. However, it might be a better idea to hire professionals.

4. Since Medieval food was largely based on class, you can serve some popular peasant yummies such as dark heavy bread like rye, peas and beans (sometimes their only source of protein), and ales. For the upper class, you can serve, roasted chicken, lamb, and even fish accompanied by wheat bread, butter, and cheese.

5. As for gifts for your guests to take home, these can include small bottles of wine, miniature swords, theme keychains, and period flowers in small bunches, which were always popular in Medieval courts.

Whether or not you have a large royal budget or a peasant’s, throwing a Medieval or Renaissance party will be enjoyable and memorable when you put some careful research and thought into it.

One of the most popular Medieval flags is called Richard the Lionheart Flag. It is a rectangular red flag designed with three golden lions which is the coat of arms of Richard the Lionheart. Who was Richard the Lionheart?

Richard the Lionheart or Couer de Lion is otherwise known as Richard I, the King of England and the Angevin Empire ruler from 1189 to his death in 1199. He was a great military leader who at the age of 16 commanded his own troops together with his brothers to dethrone his father, Henry II. Richard also became the commander of the Third Crusade against the Muslims led by Saladin. His rebellion against his father went on for several years which resulted to revolts and wars among their family and people. This resulted to the death of his brother, Henry the Young and his alliance with Philip II.

Finally on July 4, 1189, Richard defeated his father’s army and succeeded Henry as the King of England. It was believed that Henry I died at the hands of his son, Richard. During his reign, Richard went on in different battles including the Crusades and the capture of Cyprus. He was known to be Richard the Lionheart because of his courage and defiance against his father and for conquering battles against and for him. However at the end the lion was killed by an ant, when Richard died because of the gangrene on his wound caused by an arrow that struck him. The arrow was thrown by a boy who said that Richard killed his father and brothers.

Even though Steven Runciman (a British medieval historian) has this final verdict about Richard: “he was a bad son, a bad husband and a bad king, but a gallant and splendid soldier,” Richard is still regarded as one of the most enduring and iconic figures in England.

For the Richard the Lionheart flag and more medieval flags, visit the Medieval Flags Collection at realmcollections.com.

“The Lord of the Rings,” written by J. R. R. Tolkien, is a collection of epic fantasy novels about a powerful ring that needs to be destroyed by the main character Frodo Baggins. This Tolkien classic, which is one of the influences of other literary works such as J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, is a sequel to his earlier work called “The Hobbit.” Tolkien wrote this literary masterpiece in stages between 1937 and 1949 and was published in three volumes.

“The Lord of the Rings” is about a hobbit named Frodo Baggins from the Shire whose Uncle Bilbo left him his magic ring. This magic ring proved to be the One Ring which is very powerful but very evil as well. It holds the power of Sauron, the Dark Lord who has been searching for his magic ring using Ringwraiths. These 9 riders in black were sent after Frodo and his friends to get the ring back. With the help of The Fellowship composed of the hobbits: Frodo, Sam Gamgee, Merry Brandy and Pippin Took; Gandalf the Grey (wizard); Aragorn (the soon-to-be-king of Gondor and Arnor); Boromir of Gondor; Gimli the Dwarf; and Legolas the Elf, Frodo was able to escape the Ringwraiths in several occasions.

The series went on with Frodo and the fellowship’s adventures through battles and wars in “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King.” Eventually, by the end of this epic, Frodo was able to reach Mount of Doom where he struggled with the temptations of the powers of the ring where he failed and claimed the ring for himself. However, Gollum bit off Frodo’s finger with the ring on it but lost his footing and fell into the fire. This destroyed the ring, brought peace to Middle-earth and ended the series.

All of these colorful characters plus the twists and turns found in Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” paired with special effects and top Hollywood actors equals into a blockbuster film trilogy. Director Peter Jackson was able to put this epic high fantasy into an equally legendary epic film. This film trilogy put Tolkien’s work into life and became one of the highest grossing films of all time. It also inspired other films and helped the younger generation to know about one of the best literary works in the 20th century.

For more “The Lord of the Rings” memorabilia, drop by the LOTR Collection at realmcollections.com, including giftware, helmets, jewelry, and swords, among many others.

Medieval flags are pieces of cloth, usually rectangular in shape and with unique colors and designs, used as symbols, signals or emblems during the middle ages. These are categorized into the Banner and the Standard. Medieval flags under the Banner classification were personal flags symbolizing nobility and knighthood while Standards were medieval flags used for military applications.

The Banner medieval flags were painted on crossed bars or embroidered with the arms of its bearer. The size of the flags was dependent on the denoted rank and the flags were often trimmed with the arms’ primary metals and colors. These types of medieval flags were usually square in shape and ranked according to their dimensions: emperor (6 feet square), king (5 feet square), prince or duke (4 feet square), marquess, earl, viscount or baron (3 feet square), and the baronet to knight bachelor (2 feet square).

Other Banner medieval flags include the “Beauseant” (ancient type banner used by the Orders of Knighthood like the Templars; rectangular or oblong in shape and attached to a staff), the “Gonfanon” (fixed in a frame and turns like a weather vane; has 2 or 3 tails or streamers), and the “Funeral” or “Banneroll” (square in shape; used in funerals; had the arms or crests of the deceased).

The Standard Medieval flags, on the other hand, are military flags which were used for campaigns and tournaments. These were only designed with crests, badges, mottos, livery colors and ornaments, and not personal arms like in Banner Medieval flags. The different types and uses of Standard Medieval flags include the following: “Guidon” (a rallying point in battler; also carried at funerals), “Pennon” or streamer (a half-sized guidon; designed with crests, heraldic and ornamental mottos), “Pennant” (a pennon with forked ends or swallow tails), and “Pennoncelle” or “Pensell” (small pennon carried at the end of a lance; small pointed flags with crests & ornaments when used in funerals), among many others.

For more Medieval Flags, drop by realmcollections.com’s special section devoted to Medieval Flags and other Medieval Home Decor.

Who hasn’t heard about Harry Potter? With the “Harry Potter” phenomenon sweeping worldwide, this collection of seven fantasy-filled adventure books encouraged young boys and girls (not to mention a lot of adults) to read books again. During a time that most young people were engrossed in video games and techie stuff, it was such a surprise to see them holding a book and actually reading them.

The Harry Potter book series is a collection of adventures about a boy who lives in a magical world. Unknown to most, this world was spun from other myths based on Greek, Roman, Chinese, and other cultures’ folklore and beliefs. Some situations and characters are even spin-offs from other fictional books and stories.

Here are some magical focal points from the Harry Potter series that were lifted from other myths, beliefs and folklore:

• Divination is the magic of foreseeing the future, fortune-telling and making prophecies. It also involves using crystal balls (in history, Celtic druids were the first to use these in 2000 BC), reading tea leaves (tasseography), and the positions of the stars (astrology). All of these were present in many cultures and are still being practiced by several individuals nowadays. For example, in Greek and Roman mythology, these were called oracles.

• Transfiguration – The magic ability to change or transform items into other objects. This is similar to the magic displayed by Cinderella’s fairy godmother when she changed the pumpkin into a carriage.

• Animagus transfiguration – The magic ability of a human being to transform into an animal. This can also be found in Greek and Roman mythologies where Zeus or Jupiter and the other gods and goddesses could transform themselves and human beings into animals and even plants or objects. This was also be related to stories about werewolves and vampires.

• Magical beings – This group includes centaurs, mermaids/mermen, unicorns, hippogriff (griffin – part eagle and part horse), phoenix, hellhound (similar to the three headed dog of Hades), obelisk, dragons, goblins, giants, and many more. All of these creatures are also present in many myths around the world.

• Magical spells & Magic wands – These include charms, potions, curses, hexes, jinxes, movement magic, and vanishing magic, among many others. All of these can be found in history and in different myths such as the Celtic druids, the Greek & Roman oracles, Ancient Egypt’s hermeticism, and neo-platonic magic. These are just a few of the known people and practices that used magical spells and objects.

With three hit films under the pirate’s hat, including “The Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Dead Man’s Chest,” and “At World’s End,” the “Pirates of the Caribbean” is a successful franchise inspired by the original theme park. When Disney first envisioned “Pirates” for Disneyland, it was to be a walk-though wax museum with the pirates simply static. However, breakthroughs in technology (tested at the 1964-1965 World’s Fair in New York) by the Disney’s world-famous Imagineers breathe audio-animatronic life into the lifelike pirates as they sacked a Caribbean seaport. In addition, “Pirates” was the last Disney theme park to involve input from Walt Disney himself. The attraction itself opened in 1967 at Disneyland in Southern California.

Although the “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme park ride is also now located at Disneyland Tokyo, Disneyworld, and Disney Paris, it was not originally intended to be opened at Disneyworld since the Magic Kingdom at Walk Disney World Resort was so close to the real Caribbean and New Orleans (where “Pirates” is set) to be exciting and exotic enough for local patrons. In fact, a cowboys and Indians ride called the “Western River Expedition” was to have been built specifically for the Florida theme park. However, Disneyworld guests nonetheless complained about the attraction being missing. Therefore, a simpler version of “Pirates” was opened in 1973. The Tokyo version opened in 1983 while the Paris version opened in 1992. In addition, it will be opened in the newest Disney theme park in Hong Kong as a “Splash Mountain”-type of ride in the near future.

If you do manage to visit each aforementioned version of the “Pirates” ride, you will definitely see differences huge and small between them. Many of the characters from the hit movie trilogy have also been incorporated in updates of the ride (except in Paris).

Drop by the “Pirates of the Caribbean” section at realmcollections.com for everything “Pirates”-themed from movie prop replicas to other quality merchandise.