Re: MR: Arms? I thought they were appendages!

[Matthew Allen Newsome <mnewsome@warren-wilson.edu>]

Poster: Matthew Allen Newsome <mnewsome@warren-wilson.edu>



On Thu, 7 Nov 1996, Alfredo el Bufon wrote:

> I hope I haven't given the impression that I thought the Eastern custom
> I learned was in any way superior to the Atlantian custom.  If I wanted
> to start persuading my fellow Atlantians to adopt any Eastern practices,
> it certainly would NOT be the "disarm everyone in court" custom.  (It
> would be the "let ladies enter court unescorted" custom.)

Not at all.  I was reading a long series of posts on this topic and read 
one (I forget who is was posted by, sorry), that basically said "This is 
the way it's done."  Followed by another that said, "You are wrong.  It 
is done like this."  And somewhere in there someone said "The AoA scroll 
has a blank space for a blazon to be written in, therefore it is like 
this..." To which I couldn't help but respond "Whoa!  Mine doesn't do 
that!"  Suddenly nothing was making sense anymore, and the posts were 
starting to read more like bickering than discussing.  I didn't want this 
to be blown out of proportion like a lot of things are, so decided to 
express my veiws (hmmmm.... does that sound like dousing out a fire with 
gasoline?)

> With respect, I must dispute this fact.  I believe that what you saw
> those unlettered people display was heraldic _Devices_.  It is a
> perfectly understandable observational error; only trained SCA heralds
> are able to make the distinction.  (Mundane heralds don't)

So is there a way of telling Ars from Devices?  Or are they just two 
names for the same thing belonging to different people (one with and one 
without an AoA)?

> > FACT:  I was told at my first event 3 years ago that if I was called in
> > court, remove any weapons I had on me.  I was.
> 
> At your first event?  I am impressed.

Well, there is a story behind this...  It was Golden Apples up mear 
Danville VA.  They had a Nordic Quest of some sort that involved fighting 
and riddle solving.  Our team of 7 was about 5 non-fighters and 2 
fighters, Daemoth (I apologize if I mispelled that), and at that time 
Lord Logan (who, in case you've just come back from an extended vacation, 
is now King Logan).  Well, we answered a few riddles and won A LOT of 
fights that day, and I left my first event with a new game board (one of 
the 7 prizes awarded our team), and a lot of respect for the fighting 
ability of our future king.

> > of court.  I have seen more than a few people be asked to remove their
> > arms in the presence of their Majesties.  I don't think anyone can argue
> > successfully that this is not a "custom and tradition" (quoting my AoA
> > scroll) of Atlantia.
> 
> Well, one could argue that none of the people you saw so asked had an AoA.

That was what I meant.  Sorry I didn't make that clear.

> 
> > Laird Eogan Og MacLaren
> 
> You used to sign your name without the "Og".  What does it mean?
> 
> -- Alfredo

"Og" is Gaelic for young.  Like Rob Roy means Rob the Red.  Eogan Og is 
Eogan the Young.  It's documentable period (although I just have my name 
registered as Eogan MacLaren, I added the Og later).  And besides that, I 
head a small clan of misfits known as Clan Og.  We are a small, 
relatively new household dedicated to the noble and chivalric goal of not 
taking ourselves too seriously.  We like to remind everyone (including 
ourselves) that the Modern Middle Ages is fun, Period does not equall 
stuffy and boring, and above all that the SCA is a GAME!  (albeit a very 
special game).  Hence our motto:  "It's Only A Game!"
Aye,
Eogan
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