[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index][Author Index][Search Archives]

Re: Of Kings and Queens...




Poster: Heather Swann <heather@pop.net>

These are just a few thoughts and comments.  I have no particular stance
one way or the other, but these things occurred to me.

> Dear Gentles on the Merry Rose,
> 
> I would like to reiterate what Martin pointed out.  The Crown lists are
> the one method that is fair to the participants.  Even if the Marshalls
> have their favorites, the crowd usually can tell if a blow is good or
> not.  Of all of the ideas put forth, it is the one fair way.

It is fair in so far as it pertains to heavy fighters.  In so far as it
does not allow for anyone, non-heavy fighter or non-fighter, to enter
and become royalty, it's not entirely fair.

> 
> As Earl Dafydd has pointed out, A&S Competitions are extremely difficult
> to judge fairly.  Even if you do manage to get a fair and just selection
> of Judges, how do you judge Dafydd's period playing cards in comparison
> to Thorbrandr's Italian armor.

True.  One would need something more expansive in the way of, say, an
Arts Pentathlon, wherein all contenders would have to enter every
category and impartial judges would have to be the order of the day.

> 
> Another point concerns the raising of armies to war against each other.
> snip>

I agree that sounds convoluted and a source of contention.

> I foresee pursuing this as creating more problems than it could possibly
> solve.  I would rejoice in seeing an A&S king as much as the next
> person, but there is no fair way to do it.  Raising armies within the
> Kingdom divides us further, when we need to be uniting.  As much as we
> would all like to fix this 'problem', even this answer, with its merits,
> is not a completely fair method either.

I'm not so sure on that score.  Armies seems a bit divisive.  A
Pentathlon, however, might be worthwhile.

For example, say the Twelfth Night Royalty is chosen by Arts & Sciences 
Pentathlon and the Pennsic Royalty is chosen by Crown Tourney?  That
way, our Royalty can lead troops at Pennsic, and support the Arts at
Twelfth Night, giving more variety to possible candidates than is
currently the case.

I'm not saying the current system is bad, just that if you want to
spread things around a bit and have the Arts and Sciences as a factor,
that would be one way to do it.

> 
> One last thing that needs to be considered is the respect given to the
> sovereigns.  On the whole, most respect the sovereigns who claim their
> titles through right of arms.  Also these sovereigns are respected
> throughout the Known World as a true King and Queen.  What we need to
> consider is if a sovereign chosen by this method would be respected not
> only within the Kingdom, but throughout the Known World.
> 
> In Service,
> Genevieve d'Aquitiane

My thought on this is that if the rest of the Known World doesn't have
respect for the Arts & Sciences, whatever can it be thinking?  Must
might always make right?  Must we always play to the lowest common
level?  I think if we show proper respect for our Royalty, then so will
the Known World.  Who knows?  We could be the first, start a
fashion.....  :)

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