Watch out, Lia has been thinking.

[liadethornegge]

Something that I want to do for my own experience of the SCA is adhere better to "the protocol".

What do I mean by that? Well, I mean I want to kill the "Jante"-law inhibitors in me and address others in the Society with the proper amount of respect. I want to create for myself the atmosphere of nobles and of rank. That does not mean I consider myself of less worth than, for example, a mistress of the Laurel or a Duke, nor that they are beyond my reach, but I want to remember to curtsey, to use the proper mode of address, to give way, and to offer service. When I meet someone with a coronet I want to acknowledge them in some way.

I failed rather badly at that, in my opinion, at the University this weekend, because I feel silly in the moment when I want to be doing, and so don't do.

The first step is perhaps to be mindful of the Presence. I did curtsey to the throne with the Nordmark banner displayed behind it when setting up for the feast and I had to cross the path, and I am pleased with that. However, I did not acknowledge the Princess when our paths crossed only a few minutes previous, and I am less pleased with that.

There is of course also a time and place, and Personages are not always "on the clock". But I feel that I want to contribute to the magical atmosphere of the SCA where rank and a tin hat matter. I enjoy that aspect enormously, and I feel sad that it is rarely evoked outside of court.

I know I may be nibbling on my own toes with this post, and it's so far only a very rough set of ideals. More thinking required by me.

On a low register of annoyance is my question: why do we always turn the lights off for court? Is this not the one time the pageantry of the SCA is at the forefront? Is this not the one time when we want the light to shine brightly? Is this not the time when the populace wants to see their crowned heads and those worthy subjects who are being recognized? We don't like sitting there, squinting, trying to catch a glimpse of the people up front. Nor do the royals want to have to peer out into the murk to guess where people are sitting.

Yes, fine, it's romantic and 'period' with only candles as light, but, just, ARGH. Let there be light!

Comments

[folo1.livejournal.com]

"On a low register of annoyance is my question: why do we always turn the lights off for court?"

How widely spread is this practice? It has, as far as I know, never been done in the Midrealm (when candles are permitted--and that is getting more rare--it is sometimes done at feast). It does sound a little counter productive. Supposedly, they're getting an award to hold them and their accoml8shments up for the public to see...and people can't see them :\

[liadethornegge.livejournal.com]

Well, pretty much every court held in Nordmark the lights gets turned off. Or, never turned on. In summer the evenings are nice and light, but our winters are dark.

Court is nearly always in conjunction with feast as well, often also in the middle of, and in the same space. So, you set up for feast, then wait a bit, then the royals process in, hold court, process out and then retainers set up high table for eating and the royals come back in and food is brought. Or, feast starts, there's a pause between removes and a part of court is held, then more food, then court again... however many times (up to four I've seen once).

[folo1.livejournal.com]

Courts are here usually heldf before, after or instead of feast. Unofficial business during the feast--personal gifts to the crown for instance--and certainly not a bit at a time. Official business, gifts to the Crown, gifts from the Crown according to importance, AoAs first and then on up the OP. A few years ago, when someone tried to shake it up--knight, AoA, kingdom award, etc.--people were ready to kill him. I imagine that something like you describe would not go over well in the Midrealm, since some people want to feast but not go to court, go to cpourt but not feast and just want to eat during the feast and then pay attention during the court. At our event last week, we had no feast; at the end of the day, the crown held court, then everyone went out to eat and came back, if they weren't day-tripping, for the dancing, skaldic circle and dessert revel.

[florentinescot.livejournal.com]

In Meridies, it's lights on for court and off for feast.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

I guess they don't find fluourescent light from the ceiling very period. I know I don't. But there can always be more candles.
I agree titles and rank thing. I try to do that all the time at events, but then suddenly I feel funny, like if they would laugh at me. Because we've known each other for over a decade, been in the same boards etc. In Nordrike it helps that Sköldebrev, which I have is pretty rare, making me part of the upper nobility; so that it would have been normal for my persona to socialize with royalty. Not forgetting their higher rank, but being somewhat free in my socializing with them.
At the few SCA events I've been too I try to be very aware of rank and corteousy, but I'm anoutsider and it feels weird if the "real" scadians don't do it.

/Eva

[camele0pard.livejournal.com]

It's really difficult when close friends are suddenly royalty. But I've tried to improve myself in showing the proper respect as well, and if people think I'm sucking up, then let them think so - for me it's part of creating the right atmosphere, like you say.

Artificial light does ruin the feeling, I think. In utopia all courts should be held in daylight, but I guess there's always those last-minute scrolls to be made or lots of other stuff going on in the day or you have to wait for the tourney to be finished or whatever...

I think you aspire to a good thing, my lady

[bend-gules.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about this myself, ever since I read some of Mistress AElfaed's writings.

These articles/letters are linked to Mistress AElflaed's book 'Bright ideas and true confessions', and convey, to me, some excellent goals about making our Society experience 'formal', without taking away the love and affection we feel in it.

http://sandradodd.com/humility/formality

I think it gets harder, the longer we're in the Society, to stay formal. We know more people, and care more about them, and we (in Drachenwald) also see those treasured people less often.

So for myself, and others, we're inclined to hug, lots. But this isn't really consistent with what our personas would do - though it might be interesting to research, somehow, how our personas might express themselves physically.

When I went to University, I felt bathed in warmth and hugs - it was wonderful, and I wouldn't really want to do away with all that affection.

But perhaps - maybe we could try hugging when in modern clothes, and bowing, curtesying, and clasping hands when in medieval clothes? To distinguish between the time we are 'on the clock', as Lia suggests, and the time we're just friends?

Everyone is different, so such a suggestion will work for some but not others.

But I would welcome formality, if it helps us improve our game.

Re: I think you aspire to a good thing, my lady

[liadethornegge.livejournal.com]

... ever since I read some of Mistress AElfaed's writings.

We have been reading and thinking about the same things, my lady. Perhaps it was you who posted the link, in which case I thank you heartily.

In any case, yes, she expresses a lot of what I want to be doing in a thoughtful and thorough way. Much of that can be applied here, other things I'm unsure about. It's all about progression and building upon smaller steps to get where you want to go.

You are right too, I wouldn't want to go without hugging my friends when we see them so seldom, and it would be interesting to read research about hugging etc, but I wouldn't know where to start looking for that!

At events there are usually a number of distinct areas, for example sleeping quarters tend to be rather informal. It's difficult to remain "dignified" when you're twisting yourself into a pretzel to get into or out of a dress, and the periodocity of sleeping gear is usually not very high. In those circumstances I don't mind being just friends. In the social areas (the banquet hall, by the lists, in the court room) is where I want to step up my game.