Winning at Gulf War

[Mark Harris]

Gunnora comments:

>Seriously, folks, I have some concerns about the language I've been seeing
>on the list in the last week that amounts to "Ansteorra Must Win at Gulf
>War."

and

>*I* think the war-cry should be "Go to Gulf Wars and Have a Great Lot of
>FUN Fighting!"  

>Winning or losing is irrelevant.  For each of our chivalrous fighters,
>PERSONAL HONOR should be what's important.  Isn't that why you joined the
>SCA? 

Of these three comments, the last is the key. This is one of the main
problems I have with the single and  double elimination type tournies.
This single winner, the best of all, is not a medieval concept. They
did not run things that way. They didn't think that way. They valued
gallantry more than finding the single, best fighter. Winning should
be a goal but not the primary one. The primary one should be showing
that you are gallant and honorable.  Yes, in wars, they did let
practicality take over, but our "wars" are really closer to the early
medieval tournaments than to medieval wars.

However, this doesn't mean you can't use a slogan of winning, but
perhaps it could be phrased better. Such as let's show them that Ansteorra
has the most gallant fighters or "Let's show them who is best" rather
than "Ansteorra will win this war". The first let's it be known 
explicitly that winning is not the main thing we are after, the second
says it more implicitly. Personally, I find Gunnora's slogan a bit
half-hearted, although true.

Stefan li Rous