Black Powder

[Leslie Miller]

> <Leslie Miller <miller at pp.okstate.edu>>
> >At Kingdom Dance, Sir Barn made an announcement in court concerning 
> >the use of "chemically powered projectile weapons"....
> 
> Ya know, an arguement can be made that Bows are chemically powered
> projectile apons....  :)

He did say that bows were exempt from the new rule.

> I assume, however, that he's referring to the acetylene devices since
> Black Powder's not used in the SCA, at least not around here.

I don't think he ever used the term "black powder".  Those are words
I grabbed out of the air for lack of anything better.  

> Personally, I fail to see why the Society is so prosecution and
> safety paranoid that Black Powder ompetitions aren't allowed, since they 
> *are* allowed in some other historica costume groups, but that's just
> me.  

Pure speculation on my part, but I would guess that our insurance would 
have to change dramatically if we started *officially* allowing 
muskets/pistols/cannon practice/usage at our events.  

I don't know, I'm very fond of late period costuming, and I enjoy 
watching light weapons.  I even like being rousted out of bed in the 
mornings by the Black Orchid's cannon, but I confess that I was a 
little distressed when I first heard via the rumor mill that somebody 
ws pushing to allow black powder weapons ranges at SCA events.  I 
think it has to do with a perceived difference on my part between 
the ambience associated with the legends of King Arthur vs the 
"Three Musketeers".  While both can be fun, the rules just change when 
guns are introduced.  It's hard to explain without more thought
on my part, but it would spoil *my* version of the dream to some extent.  

I just hope it doesn't cause my late period friends to become so 
disgusted with the SCA that they leav.

Gunhilda
Shire of Mooneschadowe
miller at pp.okstate.edu



Leslie Miller                    
Environmental Health and Safety
(405) 744-7241
miller at pp.okstate.edu     

**********************************************************************
"Not what the stars have done, but what they are to do, is what 
detains the sky."  - Emily Dickinson
**********************************************************************