Re: Re[2]: Earl Dafydd

[Lance Harrop <lharrop@mrj.com>]

Lord Tadhg, who has not had enough beer to not be serious ;-), writes,

>      Peers (that's Knights, Laurels, AND Pelicans) are NOT "made", "built" 
>      or whatever else fits the pattern. Peers are RECOGNIZED.
>      
I really hate that phrase.  In the first place, it's not universal to the 
Society, it's particular to Atlantia.  In Atlantia, the orders and Crown 
wait until candidates are so obviously peers that they can be recognized, 
rather then made.  Now this certainly avoids the problem of making 
someone a peer who later turns out to be anything but courteous, 
chivalrus, and all those other important peer qualities, not to mention 
making say ece of paof some fighter who's got some tricky blow which is 
wiping up the Chivalry, but who doesn't have a broad foundation of skills 
as a fighter.  Still I think it should be possible to identify likely 
candidates to be MADE peers, after all we've been doing this for thirty 
years.

Second.  If a candidate actually behaves like a peer; dresses spiff, 
expresses opinions, builds a household, and particularly,  teaches, then 
he or she is as often as not accused of putting on airs.  However, aren't 
these important qualities and activities we expect of our peers?  And if 
one wants to be recognized as acting like a peer, isn't it hypocritical 
of the establishment to bash such behavior?

Third.  There have been obvious cases of severe burn-out of candidates 
who've tried to maintain Peer-Quality while lacking the privledges of a 
peer.  Sometimes the candidates have made the grade and been elevated, 
only to drop off the face of the Knowne World.  Other times they have 
simply left in disgust and  dispair.  Now certainly some of the latter 
didn't deserve to be peers, but then they didn't deserve to be jerked 
around by the establishment telling them they had to perform like peers 
when they weren't going to get the position in any case (one specific 
incident comes to mind).

Fourth and most importantly.  As with blow acknowledgement, Atlantia is 
supposed to be playing the same game as the rest of the Society.  Many of 
the knights who move into Atlantia from out of kingdom are not "Gods of 
Death" or "Mutants (a term only used for candidates)".  Rather they are 
good fighters who can teach and who first demonstrate the important 
"Peer" qualities.  This fixation in Atlantia with peerage "Standards" 
seems to imply that the other kingdoms make peers without regard their 
effect on the rest of the Society.  Frankly, as many incidences have 
shown, I think it is Atlantia which is out of step, and it is not a good 
thing, despite some people's opinions to the contrary.

In Service
Leifr Johansson