ANST - Escorts to the Royal Presence

[clward at mmm.com]

I've been following the thread about "to escort of not escort".

I think it is a good and gentle act to offer to escort a lady to the front.
Like hand kissing, the would-be escort schould watch for subtle clues as to
whether or not this assistance is desired.  If the lady indicates that she
prefers to proceed unescorted, LET HER GO WITHOUT!

Sad to say, I have in the past had people attempt to force me to accept an
escort.  I have not yet had to casually break an instep accidentally on purpose
to slow down this activity -- usually a quiet, "Mi'lord, I prefer no escort"
has served to discourage the overeager.  I can only recall one time when I had
to say it twice, and on that one occasion I quietly said (smiling all the
while) "If you don't sit down you are a dead man and all your sheep and flocks
with you."  The smile and the way I said it kept the thought from seeming as
harsh as the words themselves, and let the overeager gentleman know that I
really, truly meant that I wanted no escort.

As has already been pointed out, I rarely need or desire an escort -- I am a
free woman of good birth and where I come from the king is merely a superior
sort of farmer and we are all theoretically equals in rank, if not wealth and
power.  It is my right to be present in court, and my right to have lawsuits
brought on my behalf before the Thing, to the godi, or to the king as
appropriate.  If I am bringing a lawsuit, then I will have someone escorting me
-- namely the jurist who will be laying the suit for me.  When I am old and
feeble, I'll have my sons or servants provide escort.   I would appear socially
impoverished to need someone other than my own family or household to escort me.

I do appreciate having someone stationed near the starirs, if any, since
fighting my trailing skirts as I go up what may be rickety temporary steps is
somewhat chancy at times.  All I need in that case is a proffered hand --
again, those who need to be steadied will take it, those who don't should not
be forced.

I do find women scurrying up to escort a gentleman extremely incongruous and
jarring in a 20th century, equal-opportunity sort of way.  I prefer that if a
man is called and his female companion is handy, they may walk up together.
Otherwise, it would be more seemly for the gentleman to go to the lady, and
then the two of them go forward together.  In the case of a gentleman, the lady
is escorting him to be a witness to whatever honor or occasion the call into
court portends, and is not needed as an escort, a prop, or a servant.  I also
dislike seeing women who have escorted a man to the front crouching out of the
way.  If a lady has gone with a gentleman as an escort, she should probably
stand nearby to observe.  Around most homes, garths, and castles, this type of
stooping or crouching is associated with thralls and floor-washers.

::GUNNORA::

Writing from work -- replies to gunnora at bga.com
============================================================================
Go to http://www.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.