Meet the Fortress Dwellers!
- Fortress Dwellers
- Jul 3
- 2 min read
When we think of the Renaissance—Michelangelo, da Vinci, velvet courts, and candlelit salons—we don’t often picture Africans. Yet they were there, not only living but also influencing, creating, and performing. From royal courts to bustling cities, Africans played vital roles as diplomats, musicians, scholars, soldiers, and artisans across Europe.
Some Africans were celebrated troubadours—musicians, poets, and entertainers who brought African rhythms and stories into the heart of Renaissance culture. Their presence in courts, such as those in Italy, Spain, and even Tudor England, offered glimpses of a complex identity: simultaneously exotic and respected, marginalized yet essential to the cultural fabric of the time. This history has often been hidden, but their voices sang then—and still echo now.
Out of this history comes the Fortress Dwellers. While they pay homage to the true identity of Fortress Dwellers - hunters and gatherers, ready to defend themselves against any siege - they are portrayed as princes and their maiden sister who hail from their mythical Etherland.
They greet their audience playing flutes, a violin, a guitar, an African Djembe drum, and (no less) a bagpipe. They also sing and use Renaissance language, never breaking character. They take us on adventures through their films, visits to Renaissance Faires, and videos, which is where I met them.
I am pleased to have permission to share the Fortress Dwellers with you in our Anniversary Issue on history. Gate open. - Victorine
"Every now and again, you may find the princes of Ethland in another realm visiting the great libraries and other such places."
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Fortress Dwellers stroll into the Castle of Muskogee, playing instruments, including a bagpipe!
"We enjoyed seeing everyone at the castle of Muskogee! Thank you to all who came out and said hello, and for making it a terribly brilliant experience ."
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