standards and requirements for T.I.

[Gunnora Hallakarva]

 I was wondering if anyone could private email me the standards and
requirements for such a paper... on the topic of the evolution of children's
literature in the middle ages.   I know that there was not much until the
late 16th century, but hopefully I'll be able to dig up enough information.  

Heilsa!

I think this is a topic that may be of interest to more than a few people on
the Ansteorra list, so I am addressing this both to you and back to the
list.  The comments that follow are appropriate for any SCA research paper,
whether submitted to Tournaments Illuminated, the Compleat Anachronist, a
local group's newsletter, or as an Arts and Sciences entry.

Having published many T.I. articles over the years, I'll take a swat at
this.  Basically, you are writing a paper for the general consumption of the
SCA, which means that (1) you are not writing to collegiate academic
standards and that (2) you are not writing for the unwashed masses who think
the National Enquirer is intellectual fare. That said, if you put together a
paper that would have received favorable review from a high school English
teacher, then you have done it Just Right.

While papers dealing with topics narrowly dedicated to a particular culture
and/or period are acceptable in T.I., overall the editors over the years
have tended to select those papers that would appeal to people all across
the SCA.  This doesn't mean that a paper on,say, Viking board games can't
get published (to use my last published article as an example), just that
the information needs to be presented in such a way as to be interesting to
people outside of your particular field of expertise.  This does *not* mean
that you have to (or will) please all of the people all the time, either...
no one can be everything to everybody.  In general, T.I. publishes articles
of medium length: very long papers go to Compleat Anachronist, and very
short articles often end up in local SCA newsletters.

Since the SCA is trying to promote education, it is good to present
researched topics such as the one you are proposing.  T.I. also accepts
"how-to" articles of various sorts; book reviews; articles discussing SCA
life, politics, and society; editorial comment (via letters to the Editor);
and in small amounts, original works of poetry or other creative writing.  

For the researched topic such as you are doing, you will need a
bibliography, and probably some type of text references.  I have seen
articles in T.I. use footnotes, endnotes, and in-text citations such as are
recommended  by MLA.  Therefore, you have some flexibility in the style of
your documentation, however, I recommend that you select a style guide such
as the Chicago Manual of Style, the MLA  Style Manual (my favorite), Kate
Turabian's Handbook for Writers, etc. and use this so that your bibliography
and citations are consistent and so that they contain the proper information.  

Your bibliography entries should list the author(s), the title of the
article and/or book/journal/etc., the volume and no. information for
journals, the place of publication and publisher for books, the date of
publication, and the page numbers if an article.

Your text citations should clearly identify which work you are citing, and
give the page numbers on which you found the information, so that interested
readers can go to your sources to learn more.

Another important area to pay attention to is the manuscript itself.
Whether a publisher or editor will be reading your submission, or whether a
judge at an A&S event will read it, you want to avoid giving them headaches
and eyestrain.  So *always* type the article... if you don't have a
typewriter or computer, it is virtually certain these days that one of your
friends has one that you can use.  Never, never, never, never submit a
handwritten article.  Double space the text, and leave at least one inch
margins all around.  Absolutely do not use calligraphy fonts for the text as
they are very difficult to read.  Instead pick a nice, clear typeface that
can be read easily.  It is especially difficult to typeset a document with
terminology which may be unfamiliar to the typesetter when the font is
difficult to read as well.  And do not forget to put your name and a
shortened version of the title on *every* page... this helps enormously if
your paper gets dropped or scattered inadvertently!  Similarly, page numbers
on every page are a must.

OK, that covers the basics of what is required for a T.I. article submission.

As for your topic, don't forget that scholastic materials are "children's
literature."  What is considered important for children to learn speaks much
about the culture and the role of children within it. I am sure that others
on the list will have suggestions for sources.  

I have one suggestion: an example of an educational item might be Aelfric's
Colloquy, which is a student's excercise that was preserved in both Old
English and in Latin. Translations are available in English in a number of
collections of Anglo Saxon literature. The text in Old English with wave
files for pronunciation of the Colloquy can be found at
http://www.engl.virginia.edu/OE/Guide.Readings/Colloquy.html

An example of some of the text:

Pupils: Oh master, we children beg that you will teach us to speak
correctly, because we are unlearned and speak badly.

Master:  What do you want to talk about?

Pupils: We don't care what we talk about, as long as it is accurate and
useful conversation, not frivolous or filthy.

Master:  Are you prepared to be beaten while learning?

Pupils:  We would rather be beaten for the sake of learning than be
ignorant. But we know that you are kind and unwilling to inflict blows on us
unless we compel you to.

(from this point the dialog goes to each "student" in a number of
professions, asking what they do and how they do their jobs, finally
returning to the pupil/master dialog)

Master:  Oh, boys, how do you like this speech?

Pupils: We like it well, but you talk very profoundly and use speech beyond
our ability; but talk to us according to our comprehension so that we can
understand the things you say.

Master: I ask you, why are you eager to learn?

Pupils: Because we don't want to be like stupid animals, who know nothing
but grass and water.

Master:  And what do you want?

Pupils: We want to be clever.

Master: With what kind of cleverness?  Do you want to be subtle or cunning
in deceit, crafty in speech, artful, wily, speaking good and thinking evil,
given to bland words, nourishing guile within, just like a sepulchre,
painted outside and full of a stink inside?

Pupils: We don't want to be clever like that, because he who deludes himself
with pretense is not clever.

Master: But how do you want to be?

Pupils: We want to be sincere, without hypocrisy, and wise, so that we turn
away from evil and do good.  However, you are still questioning us more
deeply than our years can take; so speak to us in our own way, not so deeply.

Master: I will do just as you ask.  You, boy, what did you do today?

Pupil:  I did lots of things.  Last night when I heard the ringing of the
bell I got up from my bed and went to church and sang matins with the
brethren, after which we sang of all the saints and the morning hymns; after
this the six o'clock service and the seven psalms with the litanies and the
chapter-Eucharist.  Then we sang the midday service, and ate and drank and
slept.  And we got up again and sang the three o'clock service; and now we
are here before you, ready to hear what you have to say to us!

Master: When are you going to sing evensong and compline?

Pupil: When it's time!

Master: Have you been beaten today?

Pupil: I haven't, because I behave myself carefully.

Master: And how about your friends?

Pupil:  Why do you ask me about that?  I dare not reveal our secrets to you.
Each one of us knows if he was beaten or not.

Master: What do you eat in the day?

Pupil:  I still enjoy meat, because I am a child living under instruction.

Master: What else do you eat/

Pupil: I eat vegetables and eggs, fish and cheese, butter and beans and all
clean things, with much gratefulness.

Master: You are very greedy if you eat everything that is in front of you.

Pupil: I am not so great a glutton that I can eat all kinds of food at one meal.

Master: Then how so?

Pupil: Sometimes I partake of this food and sometimes that, in moderation as
befits a monk, not with greed, because I am no glutton.

Master:  And what do you drink?

Pupil: Ale if I have it, water if I have no ale.

Master:  Don't you drink wine?

Pupil: I'm not rich enough to buy myself wine; and wine isn't a drink for
the young and foolish, but for the old and wise.

Master: Where do you sleep?

Pupil: In the dormitory with the brothers.

Master: Who wakes you up for matins? 

Pupil: Sometimes I hear the ringing of the bell and get up;sometimes my
teacher wakes me sternly with a cane.

Master: Well, you boys and charming scholars, your teacher reminds you to be
obedient to the commandments of God, and to behave yourselves properly
everywhere.  When you hear the church bells, go in orderly fashion and go
into the church and bow humbly towards the holy altars, and stand up
properly, and sing in unison, and pray for your sins; and go out into the
cloisters or to study without playing the fool.

Finis.



Wæs Þu Hæl (Waes Thu Hael)

::GUNNORA::

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
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