by Lucy E. Zahnle

Created on: October 13, 2009

Many medieval re-enactors and Rennies dream of owning a big period pavilion, but there are occasions when the type of period tentage needed is not a large structure that takes two cars to transport and twenty people to set up. Often, at public demos, Ren Faires, or at any event which offers limited amounts of space, a smaller yet still medieval shelter is required.

It is not difficult to construct a period open-sided booth that fits into a 10 x 10 space, including guy ropes, but still offers a goodly amount of selling or sitting space as well as protection from the sun and rain. All you need to begin the project is access to a reasonably sturdy sewing machine, the ability to sew a straight seam, and some very basic carpentry skills. If you don't possess all of these, find a friend who can supply what you lack.

Based on the Viking A-frame design, this booth requires eight ten foot long wooden poles; it is a good idea to make at least two extra poles in case anything happens to the originals. The extra poles also work well to add extra tension to the back of the canvas when it cannot be staked down. You can create your poles from 2 x 4s, split in half so that each 2 x 4 makes two poles. Using a table saw, bevel the poles to form an octagon, then stain and roughen them so that they look older and more worn.

To form the booth's "legs", two poles are lashed together with ropes at the top, then spread to look like an upside-down "X". A third pole is lashed across the first two about a third of the way down to form an 'A' with the cross bar jutting out to support the sides of the canvas. This bit of construction is done for both sides of the booth. A pole is lashed across the top of both 'A' structures to form a crossbar, connecting them into one unit. This crossbar will sustain the highest part of the roof. Place the legs on the ground in the position they will occupy when the tent is raised. Lash the crossbar to the legs at the juncture of the "Xs".

Lash four poles into a large square, tying them together only two or three inches from the ends of the poles. Lash the side poles to the legs, about a third of the way down each leg. It doesn't matter whether your square is on the inside or the outside, but I prefer the outside because it is easier to tweak later if that becomes necessary. The floating square gives the structure more strength and provides support for the canvas. When the structure is complete, it looks like two 'X' style ten foot legs with a cross bar

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