Principalities: "baby steps" Proposal (l
Mike Baker
mbaker at rapp.com
Fri Sep 20 11:05:00 PDT 1996
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!
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