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Re: how kings come to be



On Tue, 3 Mar 1998, CptnBnytng wrote:

>    Odinson noted a point that has a strangely warm attraction to the politicly
> incorrect voices I hear in my head .... 
> 
> >>  European crowns usually require civil war if heredity was ruled out. <<
> 
>                                ...... Hmmmmm ... ?!?

The quest for a crown in Europe might require a civil war even if a
claimant had a hereditary right ... anybody remember the Scottish Wars for
Independence in the 14th century?  There were approximately 20 individuals
with *legitimate* claims to the Scottish throne.  That Edward I/William
Wallace business wasn't the only cause of the bloodshed.

Totally authentically mediaeval in style or not, the current SCA Crown
Tourney system has its mediaeval side effects.  The average member of the
populace has no control of who gains the crown.  The chap who swings the
best stick wins.  Sometimes we get a good king (hurrah!); sometimes we get
a bad one (boo, hiss).  Sometimes our kings are intelligent, yea, even
scholarly; sometimes we get one who gives "stick jocks" a bad name.  Guess
what?  It was even so during the Middle Ages.  We have the ultimate
advantage, though.  Even a bad reign lasts only 6 months, and nobody has
to be assassinated (and yeah, that happened too ... James I of Scotland
was hurried off this mortal coil by annoyed nobles who accosted him in the
privy). 

Alianora
*****************************************************************************
Stephanie M. Thorson			|  SCA: Lady Alianora Munro
Dept. of Scottish History		|  Clan White Wing
University of St Andrews		|  Tarkhan, Khanate Red Lion