Selecting coronets by rapie

[Gunnora Hallakarva]

>
>>From Sir Kief:
>
>>Stefan li Rous has written an idea that has also given me pause. 
>>Tell me your thoughts on it. To paraphrase Stefan and to add an idea of
>>my own. Why not have the Prince and Princess be chosen by Rapier Combat? I
>>add... Why not Rapier Combat and Chivalric Combat?!? Every other Reign to be
>>decided by a different style of Combat...!
>
>To which Aethelyan of Moondragon declares:
>
>Whoa! If I am not mistaken, the Board has dis-allowed rapier combat to be
>used for ranking tournaments (i.e., Crowns and Coronets). Personally, I'd
>rather not see this change.

Heilsa, All!

        The ruling is somewhere in Corpora.  Or you can look at the Rialto
FAQ, where there are copious notes about alternate methods for choosing
crowns/coronets (the argument reoccurs about every six months on the Usenet
newsgroup rec.org.sca).

        The reason for not allowing rapier combat for choosing a Prince/ss
is that after stepping down that person usually gets a viscounty, which is
recognized throughout the Known World.  However, rapier combat is *not*
recognized everywhere, and as many are aware, recently received a major
setback by being banned by King Jade (is that West Kingdom?  I think so.)
Thus we'd be asking other kingdoms who (at times) loathe and abhor fencing
to recognize viscounts who earned their rank in rapier combat... which will
probably go over like a lead baloon where fencing is not accepted.

        Not that I think it's a bad idea.  However, I have noted that the
best of the Dons frequently swing a mean stick of rattan as well... if you
are capable at one form of combat, you should be capable of the other as
well.  Which is, of course, one of the "other side"s arguments against
deciding crown or coronet lists by rapier combat.

        The other proposal that frequently comes up on the Rialto is
deciding crown/coronet lists by some combination of:  arts and sciences,
archery, rapier combat and chivalric combat.  I seem to recall that at least
one crown or coronet *somewhere* was based on a mix of A&S and chivalric
combat, back in the dark ages of the Current Middle Ages... I'd have to ask
older members to determine if that is so, or if it's a phantom idea I
acquired while reading posts on the Rialto.  The problem I have with using
A&S to determine the list is that judging art is so subjective... whereas
the last man or woman standing after an elimnination tourney is clear cuit
and requires no interpretation.

        Ah well.  It's an interesting philosophical argument, but I don't
seriously expect that there will be any change from our current chivalric
combat format crown/coronet lists anytime soon.

Wassail,

::GUNNORA::


Gunnora Hallakarva
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