About Us
Immortals wants to bring the history of the Achaemenid Persian Empire (539-331 BCE) to as many people as possible, through both combat slots and living history. We use up-to-date research to portray this period, with necessary compromises for the safety and well-being of our members. The core of our approach is that we want our members to have fun.
Our members have a long history of collaborating with other groups to create fantastic displays of the Greco-Persian wars.
No matter your age, gender, background, or physical ability - if you are interested in the Achaemenid Persian Empire, you are welcome to join!
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The Committee
Dr Erik Jellyman
Co-Chair
Even though I'm a physicist, I really enjoy the Persian history and culture. I love the community I've found doing this hobby. You will usually find me with a spear and a sword on the battlefield.
John Heaton
Co-Chair
I've been a reenactor for many years. I always loved mythology as a child, and have always found Historical battles interesting. I do three different historical time periods, this being the earliest period I Re-enact. Re-enactment is a fantastic and fun hobby and a great way to learn history.
Fred Hampee
Secretary
I love history and the Persian period is so different to British culture that it is exciting to learn about. I love the vibrant colours you can wear for the Persian Empire and on the battlefield I will be in bright red and yellow with a spear and shield!
Josh 'Viking' Davies
Training Officer
I grew up on Viking re-enactment stories told to me by my Dad, so the first chance I got, I joined a medieval re-enactment group, and absolutely loved the hobby and the people! When the opportunity to fight and reenact more, but in a completely different time period happened, in the form of Immortals, I once again jumped straight in! It's a very different time in history to anything else for fighting and culture, which makes it very interesting, and rather experimental, which just adds to the fun!
Will "Screech" Kitchen
Events Officer
I've always been keen on history, and ever since I saw Erik sitting in full kit behind a table at Freshers' Fair I've been keen on reenactment too. Ancient Persia is not much in the popular consciousness, so it's a very interesting niche to be in and to chat to the public about, and it's a very rich culture. Plus the kit is pleasantly light and airy in hot summer events. I can usually be found hurling javelins on the sidelines of the field when I'm not embarrassing myself on a dance floor.
What is Combat?
We know that combat displays are the most dynamic and interesting way to get people interested in history. It's also really fun! We welcome anyone to try combat, so long as you are over 18 (for insurance purposes). We use real weapons, but they have been blunted to prevent serious injury. We have a rigorous training system to ensure non of our members get hurt, but also put on an amazing show members of the public will enjoy.
Spears
Spears are found in some form in almost every military culture across the world. Two forms were used in the Persian period: what we call the two-handed spear, and the one-handed spear. These require different techniques, but we will teach you how to use these pointy sticks safely.
Swords
The weapon of the higher classes, swords are the must-have weapon for re-enactors! However, the swords in our period are much shorter than others, and are glorified daggers. This makes combat faster and more dangerous. Definitely a weapon for more experienced members, but well worth it!
Missiles
The basis of the Achaemenid army was its missile troops. This includes archers, slingers, and javelinmen. Each of these require different techniques, but adds an extra 'wow' factor to our displays! Because of the very nature of these weapons, they require more specialised training, but are the most fun of all these categories!
What is Living History?
We love attending events where we can portray the daily lives of the Achaemenid Persians. This means we take tents which are similar to those used during this period and live in them for the entire event. We have a wide variety of objects which are recreations of objects the Persians would have used at the time.
For us this helps transport us into the mindset of the Persians, but it's a fantastic opportunity to show members of the public aspects of a culture they otherwise might not get to see or be exposed to.
When we camp we try to be as 'authentic' as possible. What this means is that we use the most up-to-date research as possible to try to recreate the arms, armour, dress, and camp of the Achaemenid Persian army. There are some concessions for safety and logistics, but we pride ourselves on presenting as accurate an image as possible of what life was like for Achaemenid Persians.
Dress
The most important part of our shows and events is that we dress in as accurate was as possible. We do this with kit guides that have been created with as up-to-date research as possible.
The camp
At events we bring an Achaemenid encampment, were we use tents, plates, cup, and even food that was used by the Achaemenid Persians. This means we can go beyond just combat slots, and present what life was like during this fascinating period.
Interaction
Living History is a great way to get the public interested in periods of history they might not have heard about before. After being drawn in by the weird outfits, we invite the public to interact with our items, we play games with them, and answer any questions they might have.
Immortals Logo
We want to say a couple of words about the Immortals' logo, and some of the historical background of why we chose it to represent the group.
The Original Object
We wanted a logo that was quintessentially Persian. The lion was an important symbol of the king's strength and power, and this gold applique is a beautiful example of Achaemenid goldsmithing and artistry.
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You can read more about this object on the Metropolitan Museum's website.
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Bella Atkins took this image and used it as the basis of the Immortals logo, slightly simplifying the complex details and including a red background so it would show off our group colours.