Made to Swear Fealty

[Gunnora Hallakarva]

Barat said:
>After all, it's hard to forget you are an apprentice when
>your Laurel makes you swear fealty to the Crown.

I cannot imagine in my wildest dreams even **asking** my apprentices to
swear fealty to anyone, much less **requiring it**!!!!!!

Fealty is such a personal bond, and one that so many take deadly seriously,
that I find "requiring" ANYONE to do so frankly a Bad Idea (I had to rewite
that last three times to keep my amazement from making my language stronger
than it needed to be).

It is because swearing fealty is serious and personal that the SCA even
makes provisions for those offered knighthood to take the Mastry of Arms
instead of being forced to swear fealty as a knight must... the knights
aren't even *made* to do it, the *choose* to swear, or else they may choose
the Mastry. (And of course, this has been discussed to death in this forum
over the past few days).

Back when King Jan and Queen Kemreth ruled our fair lands, Jan deliberately
used the strongest, most imposing fealty oath he could find (the love what I
love, hate what I hate oath, I beleive... whatever one it was it was an
actual period fealty oath) because he wanted to *discourage* people from
swearing fealty lightly.  The oath of fealty retains its importance and
meaning because it is seriously sworn, offered by a few, and should
reciprocally hold the Crown to certain responsibilities towards the liegemen
so sworn.

I know that SCA sociology is different in other realms as to who swears
fealty.  I know in some places Laurels, for instance, are either required or
strongly encouraged to do so (Mistress Siobhan, comments?) but in Ansteorra
when a Laurel swears fealty, it is purely a matter of personal choice.  I
may choose one day to swear fealty to a king and queen, but it will be out
of my marked respect for them, not because I was required to do so.  If the
"rules" ever change requiring me to swear, I'd have to resign whatever rank
I was holding that required it...  (no knighthood or territorial barony for
me, then, obviously).

I'm curious as to how other Laurels and apprentices feel about this.

Wæs Þu Hæl (Waes Thu Hael)

::GUNNORA::

Gunnora Hallakarva
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