Re: Fighting and fun

[Kim_Salazar@BayNetworks.COM (Kim Salazar)]

Poster: Kim_Salazar@BayNetworks.COM (Kim Salazar)


Unto the learned and worthy Alfredo el Bufon, from Countess Ianthe, again
greetings!

First of all, let me assure the noble Alfredo that I have the utmost
respect for fools and jugglers.  I've always tried to maintain friendships
with anyone authorized to fight in sarcasm and irony, parody, humor or
related weapons forms.  :)

I have seen all of these arts I mentioned in my note (and more) practiced
as demonstration for both SCA and at open events - for mundane audiences.
Right now in Carolingia the Embroiderers' Guild often sets up a large
Bayeux Tapestry style panel and invites onlookers to contribute to its
stitching and/or pose questions on materials and technique.  In the early
days of the first Pennsic food establishment - The Sated Tyger - Mistress
Marian of Edwinstowe would form her pies and cakes (and running commentary)
with a crowd of on-lookers who always managed to reappear to cheer the
results emerging from her beehive oven.  

Long ago, the University of Carolingia was an event open to the mundane
public.  It was held in Memorial Hall at Harvard University.  In addition
to scholarly lectures on period subjects presented in persona, many people
demonstrated their arts in "Students' Quarter" kiosks.  Count Aelfwine made
mail; Mistress Peridot taught the rudiments of calligraphy; I did
embroidery; Caryl de Tresseson taught illumination and gold leaf; and
others did leatherwork, woodworking, silversmithing, basketry, lute-making,
weaving, and so on.  The general public was quite interested, but even more
so were our own people.  Don Fernando and I both had our first shaky lesson
in calligraphy at a UofC.  I made my first leather gorget after working
with an leathersmith at one.  Smaller arts demos used to be more popular as
an activity at events - especially at Boroughs or other college-affiliated
locations.  Since then institutions like Schola in Bakhail, the University
of Atlantia and the various arts symposia have flourished.

Period arts have been and can be the subject of active and crowd-involving
demonstration.  However, logistics can be challenging - especially for the
large crowds todays events garner.  


Ianthe

Kim Brody Salazar
home - salazar@sprynet.com
work - ksalazar@baynetworks.com
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/salazar



At 12:06 PM 5/29/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Poster: "Ed Hopkins" <Ed.Hopkins@MCI.Com>
>
>Ianthe d'Averoigne speaks eloquently of making combat more accessible
>to spectators, and adds:
>
>> To those who bridle at "theater," "tarting up the lists" or "demeaning
>> themselves by playing the fool", I would point out that arts can be enjoyed
>> on many levels.  Embroidery, cooking, metal work, calligraphy, bardic arts,
>> and the rest can all be worked by those of any proficiency and can bring
>> visual or vicarious enjoyment to all.  [...]
>
>I have seen cooking for spectators (mundanely (at Japanese restaurants
>and at fudge-making establishments)) and I have heard of people
>watching metalworking, but the bardic arts is the only part of
>Mistress Ianthe's list that I've seen pitched to the crowds at
>SCA events.  Of course, my experience is limited.
>
>-- Alfredo el Bufon


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