(Posting this for my friend. He's been working on this for a while. Going out taking pictures, etc. And now the site is suddenly invite only. To whoever this concerns, consider this an application post? )
Ho there friend, stay a while and listen!
I am Peo. 38 years old. Teacher, occasional dabbler in crypto and a hobby historian. I am also the knight of the castle of Kastelholm in Åland, Finland. A friend introduced me to this website but a lot of real life hassle kept me from signing up 'till now.
I’ve always wanted a place to share my stories. Like I love doing at our castle tavern. Fine, that's not a really a tavern in that picture, I just made it look like one.
Steemit will give me the AMAZING opportunity to vent about my life and the crazy experiences I sometimes have and I’m glad to have found out about this platform early.
While I do have a real name that you can gather from some of the pictures in this post, most of the people on the island of Åland know me as the Knight of Kastelholm, a persona I've been working on for almost four years now and am hoping to be able to bring into the world of social media.
A knight you say?
Even though I do not carry an official knight title it's been sort of a childhood dream of mine and the thing that got me to study history from an early age. Who knows, maybe one day I can actually claim Kastelholm as "my" castle. Complete with my own coat of arms. Impossible you say? Pah! You just have to know the right people. I met with Finland's president last summer and made it into the local newspaper. I've shook hands with three presidents of Finland through the ages, four or five ambassadors from different countries (China for one), a few politicians of different places and half a dozen semi-famous people such as singer, rappers and what not. Sometimes I feel like Forrest Gump, because it's ALWAYS purely coincidental.
So what do I do at the castle?
I welcome and educate visitors, give them guided tours, bringing memories and smiles to those that use their summer vacation to visit us. Sometimes I set up a stall, displaying my collection of medieval items at a special corner of the castle. I also show them our torture devices, and I'm not afraid to use them.
And yes, sometimes I scare people. I know I shouldn’t pretend to be a medieval mannequin doll as people walk past me to then suddenly come to life, but the days can be long and dull sometimes.
I like giving visitors a feel for how it was hundreds of years ago, beyond the romanticized view of the Dark Ages that we carry today. It is very rewarding to meet and speak to people who really seek information and this is what brought me to become the Knight of Kastelholm full-time.
I do my best to spend money on new gear and gather more information about my castle, "evolving" into a better knight for each subsequent season. My superiors at the castle seem glad for it, with old visitors revisiting every once in a while just to see what news I bring from the 15th century.
Chainmail outfit 2015.
Chainmail outfit + new helmet!
Kastelholm castle?
It's a small castle, but the only one that was ever built on the island of Åland. Its history can be traced back to the 14th century under Bo Jonsson Grip, a genius businessman who owned huge parts of Sweden, most of Finland and the entire island. He built the castle to protect his vast treasury from raiders and bandits. I dig around the castle on occasion, hoping to unearth a pouch of coins. No luck thus far but I’ll keep you posted.
Later, during the 16th century, the castle was adopted by Gustav Vasa and modernized to withstand the latest weaponry and it grew to be a place for hunts, leisure and defense.
Throughout the ages it was also a prison, attacked by pirates, part of the witch trials and much more. So what it lacks in size, this castle more than makes up for by being a major part of Scandinavian history.
Time for something new
I’ve learned a lot over the years. After having written my bachelor thesis on Warfare & Torture during the Medieval Ages I decided to take in and learn as much as possible about everything, including about my own island. I found there’s not a great deal of information available to tourists about Aland. So, I am considering starting up my own company, hosting guided tours mixed with medieval events. Everything from archery, throwing axes, to fielding a shield wall.
Currently I’m still working at the castle, the season for the castle runs between May and September and I want to get a proper website going first. My absolute non-talent when it comes to web-design isn’t of much help so it may take a while.
My talent for making posters however!
I’ve never done anything like this. It’s a big step from being a ‘mere’ castle guide to revolving this lifestyle around a company. I don’t even really know if people will be interested. But hey, risk is all part of the game. I’d love to keep you guys on Steemit updated on how I progress.
What else do I like doing?
Gaming, traveling, etc. I spent a month in Japan last year. On my own. I don’t do some of the wild stuff that others look to be doing in their travel blogs. I’m just a regular guy for the most part.
I’m a grown up but still a child at heart. I got my first EVER smartphone a few days ago just to play Pokemon Go. So if you ever see a large, screaming, long-haired guy in chainmail running through the wild woods of Aland, you’ll know it’s me chasing a Primeape.
That is about it thus far. I would actually be glad to share some experiences from Japan at some point. Until then, I salute my new friends at Steemit.
Take care.
PEO
Knight of Kastelholm
#introduceyourself #steemit #finland #knights