Principalities: "baby steps" Proposal (l

[Mike Baker]

Since this whole discussion is still essentially a "trial balloon", allow me 
to offer a "new" thought for consideration. Why not do something new / 
different, sort of a building-block approach toward naturally "growing" 
Principalities?

Ansteorra already has administrative regions in place, with geographical 
designators but no _formal_ "medieval-side" names or functions. How about 
taking things one step at a time and advancing these to "named regions" 
(shire, march, barony,  principality & others having already been 
designated, we'd have to find an appropriate alternate "title" - perhaps 
"Marquisate"? "March-land"?) instead of full Coronet-list principalities?. 
These could / should be complete with regional champions (Marquis/Marquessa? 
Waldgraf? other?), hopefully permitted to present awards of less than 
grant-level by derived authority of the Crown.

We already have, at least at the "club" or "fun" level , "Nordsteorra" as an 
informal reference to the Northern Region of Ansteorra. (Galen, thanks for 
the reminder of Hrabia Jan's three-legged stool descrtiption - I prefer to 
choose the naming of the third leg of the seat as "fun" instead of "joke")

Would my friends and companions in the north consider the invitation to 
shape the experiment outlined into a more formal proposition?

* * * * *
Alternatives / potential objections:

alt. regional designator:  "Barony Palatine" of a form differing from that 
used in Barony of the Western Seas ("County Palatine" perhaps, if that 
wouldn't offend the Royals too greatly?), "Crown Colony" might have a 
certain wry attraction for us as Americans, but also holds modern mundane 
conotations (commercial spice brand) that might be objectionable. "Republic" 
would allow another set of in-jokes and could be amusing in combination with 
some of the possible alternatives for selection of a demi-Coronet.

Alt. "champion" titles: in addition to those shown above, I dredge up from 
the depths of my brain Chieftain/ess, Despot/Despotrix, Consul, Proconsul, 
Elector, Righe (sp.?/usage: Ri - as in the Irish "petty-king" answerable to 
the Ard Ri, or "high king"), Legate, Marchwarden, etc. Or this could be an 
opportunity to develop a new flavor of Warlord, at the regional level.

Alt. "champion" format: adaptation of the earlier forms of the Northkeep 
Castellan competition, as a  "multi-facet / broad range of ability" 
showcase. As long as I'm running a laundry list out on the line, and since 
regions are not under the constraints of Kingdom or Principality as to the 
*type* of list used to choose their ceremonial champions, how about rotating 
the format of the "region-champion list" through rapier combat, A&S, 
archery, and heavy combat? Since this _is_ Ansteorra, I'd suggest that the 
rapier community be allowed first shot at things...

Informational point:  Some people will no doubt see this purely as an 
attempt to forestall Principality. It is not. At least I do not intend it as 
such. I consider this proposal to be a "trial run" (anticipating the 
inevitable pun: "... and, BOY, can we be trying!"). I make the proposal with 
a firm eye upon the history of the Society as it involves the formation and 
dissolution of branches larger than a barony. Can anyone give a citation 
*after* A.S. XIV (or before, for that matter) where a Principality of the 
SCA, once formed, was dissolved other than to be elevated as a Kingdom? It 
seems that we, as the Society, go to great lengths to preserve a branch at 
any level, but *particularly* at  the "collective" levels we fight to 
maintain things once they are advanced to that point. (For my examples, I 
rely here also upon my perception of the latitude permitted long-standing 
baronies that dip below or hover near the minimum population figures, such 
as noted by Eilis earlier in the explanation of the "Crown Lands" in the 
Kingdom of the West.)

* * * * *
Comments? Concerns? Brickbats?

Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra
     currently residing in Barony of the Steppes, Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mike C. Baker                      mbaker at rapp.com
Any opinions expressed are obviously my own unless explicitly stated 
otherwise!