Eogan's apologizes

[Gene Bonar <gbonar@auspex.com>]

Poster: Gene Bonar <gbonar@auspex.com>

Greetings Roseys,

My last posting to the Merry Rose in response to Stephan's request about
Excaliber was dismissive and rude and for that I am profoundly sorry. I
reacted without thinking it through.  

The danger of this kind of reaction is that new people might form a bad
opinion of the SCA based on my rudeness.  I am truly sorry.

Now if I may I would like to explain my response.  I see the scientific
method and the pursuit of historical facts as a calling and because of
this, it is to me, of paramount importance to be accurate.  Small details
built to become a way of doing things and it is only though adherence to
the process can we hope to find the truth of things. 

Romantic or just sloppy scholarship has no place in a serious discussion.
"Romantic" scholarship is why so many Victorian historians and editors are
suspect.  They tended to fill in the blanks with what appealed to them
rather than hold out for the facts. The legend of Arthur seems to be
replete with just this kind of thinking.

Although there may have been a historical Arthur, who lead some of the
Britons in several battles against the Angles and Saxons, this does not
change the fact that most of what has come to be told about Arthur is
fiction.  Story tellers take a handful of truths and extrapolate "the
story".  Then this story is told and retold and modified and retold to the
point were it is almost impossible to separate fact from fiction.  It is
because of this kind of blending that it imperative that historians be very
critical and insist on primary or secondary documentation.

Some people think this is excessive, and sometimes it is, but it is the
only way to get what is true. 

To my knowledge there isn't any solid scholarship to show that Excalibar
even existed, if anyone has some let me know.  Until then I can't see the
good of having a serious historical discussion about what made it "magical".

In service,



Eógan mac Ailpein    archer and pursuivant
Elvegast, Windmasters' Hill, Atlantia
mka Gene Bonar  919.772.1112  gbonar@auspex.com
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