Virtual worlds - construction of the past as a game. Amateur historical fencing

This diploma thesis concerns on one way of leisure time spending in Czech Republic - non-professional historical fencing. This activity lays essentially in depicting of battle manners in the past in fonn of dramatic performances (public presentation is not required though). The actors use for their purposes armament, outfit, clothing and other equipment that should correspond at least generally to a certain historical period. In the first part of the work I set historical fencing into broader context of leisure time activities with common features, which are RPG's (Role Playing Games) and LARP's (Live Action Role Playing) and leisure time activities with fantasy thematics generally on one side, and other ways of depicting of the past, mainly historical music, historical dance and "living history" on the other. In the next part I try to explain current meaning of the term "historical fencing" and to briefly survey evolution of historical fencing in our country from the 60's until today. I watch non-professional historical fencing actors themselves more closely, explore their associating into groups, fonnal structure of such associations (groups) and cite examples of several Prague based groups. I also deal with motivation of actors for historical fencing, non-concerned public's view of such activity and..