Re: Preparation for Court

["Chuck Graves" <chuck_graves@mail.hq.faa.gov>]

     Greetings, all.
     
     I just had to share this one.
     
     Regards,
     Tadhg
     
     ps. that's another tadhg, not me...


______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________
Subject: Re: Preparation for Court
Author:  Discussions of SCA Heraldry <SCAHRLDS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM> at smtpgate
Date:    6/18/96 10:54 AM


Let me generalize, based on the good comments from Rhiannon et al: the 
herald needs *some* sort of backup, but not necessarily a herald per 
se for everything.  For example, for me, the noble's retinue handled 
"regalia" (danglies, garters, and such), while my backup herald did 
charters.  A guard can handle water passing, as Rhiannon (I belive) 
noted.
     
I still want a *herald* from some backup purposes, specifically for 
reminding me of things, and for taking over if I get called into court 
or can't continue.
     
     
Steffan's Law (maybe it's Steffan's Fifth Law, for all I know):
> you do not use "good", "surprise", and "herald" in the same sentence.
     
(Hmmm ... that would allow "We're going to surprise the herald.")
     
A related one I know is "Never surprise the nobles [in court]."
     
The unspoken corollary is "If you don't know when you can safely break 
that rule, you can't.".  (Long-time trusted retinue can get away with 
it, for instance -- but they should know when it's safe, or at worst 
you can blame them safely.)
     
To digress a bit onto other rules for running things: when Tadhg Liath 
briefly became seneschal of a barony, he opened his first group 
meeting by putting on the table a bag and a stick and promulgating 
five rules.
     
- Nobody interrupts the baron or the baroness.
- Nobody interrupts the seneschal except the baron or the baroness. 
- Nobody interrupts anyone else except the seneschal, the baron, or
  the baroness.
- If you violate the rules, I put this bag over your head. 
- If you violate the rules again, I hit the bag.
     
The room got *really* quiet, and they were very well-behaved for his 
tenure.
     
--
Daniel de Lincoln
                             Tim McDaniel
                        Reply-To: tmcd@crl.com
                     (Work is mcdaniel@cpm.com.)
              Never use mcdaniel@mcdaniel.dallas.tx.us.

=======================================================================
List Archives, FAQ, FTP:  http://sca.wayfarer.org/merryrose/
Submissions:              atlantia@atlantia.sca.org
Admin. requests:          majordomo@atlantia.sca.org