Re: MR-Disc: What A Knight Requires

["Thorpe, John" <thorpj@caepo1.columbiaSC.NCR.COM>]

Poster: "Thorpe, John" <thorpj@caepo1.columbiaSC.NCR.COM>


Greetings from Eldred!

Our Grand-High-Poobah-of-the-List Pro-Tem, Henry Best sez:

%On Wed, 14 Aug 1996 edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com wrote:

%> "The first and principal thing a knight requires is to support the
%> weight of his armor; the second is to practice arms constantly;
%> the third is to withstand hunger; the fourth is to be able to sleep
%> badly and live uncomfortably; the fifth is to fearlessly risk his
%> life for justice and the common good, thus saving his soul as
%> though he had been pious and chaste all his life; the sixth is not
%> to fear the sight of blood; the seventh is to skillfully defend
%> himself and slay his enemies; and the eighth is to be ashamed of
%> craven flight."

%See. That's why I will never ever be a knight. I can't handle
%requirement #3. I'm doomed before I even start.

But then how do your ankles support you?  8^)

%> * Why isn't horsemanship on this list?

%> * Should anything be added for a KSCA?  Like a truck or van?

%I think these two questions are linked. A KSCA needs a van instead of a
%horse. Instead of sufficient land to support a horse and armor, he needs
%a job.

Nah.  A KSCA needs a *squire* with a van or stake-body flatbed truck.
BIG 8^)

%> * Should anything be deleted for the Current Middle Ages?  For instance,
%>   does the "saving his soul" part violate General Order Six from the BoD?

Only if it is the central focus of an event....

%I think it's only fair to remove the bit about being chaste. This gets us
%back to the hunger issue. Food and sex are two of the Great Gifts from
%God. It's cruel to ask our knights to avoid them.

At any rate, re-read the passage.  "...thus saving his(or her) soul
AS THOUGH he had been pious and chaste all his life."  I think that
pretty well allows sex, doesn't it?  If indeed such a policy violates
GO6, then we may substitute "reputation" for "soul" thus bypassing
GO6 completely, and retaining at least the flavor of the Current Middle
Ages.

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