Re-Creation vs. Re-Enactment (Was Cooks)

[RowenRhys@aol.com]

Poster: RowenRhys@aol.com

In a message dated 98-06-10 11:00:38 EDT, michael.f.dullaghan@adn.alcatel.com
writes:

<< While we are talking about word origins, i would like to point out that
 >> the period term for one who cooks a feast is: A cook. Not only is
 >> "feastacrat" not a period word, it is not even a word, period.
 >
 >You been hanging around Winifred again? ;-)
 
 You don't have to hang around Winifred to be right [although it helps ;-)].
 
 While we are flogging this dead horse, its:
    wagon (or even car)     not   dragon
    jakes                   not   porta-castle
    children (or childer)   not   smalls (unless you are arranging activities
                                  for your underwear (no, I don't want to
know))
 
 There. That should keep the traffic up for a while. >>

My husband and I were having a conversation regarding the SCA last night that
strikes me as pertinant to the above discussion.  We determined that getting
paid to re-enact, as a costumed historical interpreter at Yorktown for example
(which my husband was), leads one to strive for authenticity.  Where as, if
one is paying to re-enact the Middle Ages, they are more likely to make up
their own rules, vocabulary, etc. which is really more in the lines of re-
creation.  Now, I know that there are many types of different people in the
SCA (a point which I defended to my husband):  there are those whose interest
in accuracy is astounding (a drive to which I aspire) alongside those
individual who just come to play and have little idea about the concept of
what is "period" and what is not.  It is my feeling that the SCA is broad
based enough to support both of these groups along with those who fall
somewhere in between the two.
Now, with regards to the comments on using "non-period" vocabulary:
>From and anthropological perspective it can be easily explained.  The SCA is a
group of people who share some common interests and, when these poeple come
together, a vocabulary exclusive to the group will naturally occur.  Such a
phenomenon acts to sustain the group from within with a sense of solidarity.
However, it also acts as a "code" against those outside the group, a point of
which we must all make ourselves keenly aware. 


Just doing my part to keep up the traffic,

Rowen (who is not always as serious as she may seem)
in the corn field which looks vaguely like Scotland this morning


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