The Principality of Hell

[dennis guy grace]

Greetings Cousins,

Lyonel here. 

At 06:03 PM 10/20/96, Baron Aodhan Ite an Fhithich wrote:

>It is not necessary to have a separate award for archery for archers to be
>honored.  Do we also need separate awards for acrobats, farmers, architects,
>armorers, astronomers, beadmakers, beekeepers, bookbinders, brewers,
>calligraphers, chandlers, carpenters, cartographers, cooks, dancers, actors,
>painters, dyers, embroiderers, equestrians, felters, fullers, glasiers,
>mileners, hawkers, historians, jewelers, jugglers, leather workers, poets,
>potters, sailors, seamstresses/tailors, cobblers, engineers, smiths, masons,
>wainwrights, weavers, etc., etc.??

I'm no archer, but I think His Excelency's comments unfairly Straw Dog the
matter of recognition.  True, we don't recognize individual areas within the
arts and sciences, but we do recognize fighting skills (an art and a
science) and we do recognize service (an art and a science).  The problem
with archery and--sorry to stir these coals--rapier fencing is simply that
we never know where to classify either skill.  Rapier skill is an art, a
fighting skill, and (through teaching and demonstration) a service related
activity.  Archery is further complicated by the differentiation of combat
archery from target archery.  Since the areas are so complex, I think we
demonstrate both greater consistency and a level of concern for those
involved if we treat them with unique solutions.  Awards?  Hell, I'd like to
see an archer's equivalent of the White Scarf (which, yes, I think should be
a peerage--there, that oughta get me in trouble).

Yours in Service 

Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace
________________________
Dennis G. Grace
Postmodern Medievalist
Division of Rhetoric and Composition
University of Texas at Austin
amazing at mail.utexas.edu
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Si hoc legere scia, nimium eruditionis habes.