ANST - fealty (attempt #3)

[ALBAN at delphi.com]

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From: ALBAN at delphi.com
Subject: fealty (reprise)
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I see the fealty thang has reared its head again. . . 
Daniel de Licolia wrote
>Next week I hope to buy a little booklet from Alban Saint Albans on the 
>subject.
Errr, Daniel? I won't be at the Known World Heraldic Symposium next 
week, the booklet hasn't been printed yet, and it's not for sale. (It will be, 
however, free if hand-delivered, and if not hand-delivered it'll be available 
for the cost of postage.) - But if you want it at Pennsic, I hope it'll be there, 
or I'll Have to Have Words With The Typesetter, yes indeedy.
And thanks, by the way; this is the first time anyone's used me as an 
Authority on the Subject, and the pamphlet's not even out yet.

>I'd like to read up on period fealty and homage, with examples.
I have a little list. Just a couple of books really, on feudalism and homage 
and such, some of which have sections on fealty and homage; the list is my 
bibliography. Anyone interested in a copy?

>I really don't understand the people who bop on up at Coronations and 
>swear something really vague (or practically slavery!) and get little or 
>nothing promised in return.
I understand it. It's SCA tradition/custom, which means in large part it's 
something people do with little or no thought, because "it's always been 
done that way." I don't agree with this particulary tradition, mind you - but 
I understand it.

>However, there are those who feel they cannot swear anything due to 
>real-world constraints. Some feel a religion obligation not to swear. Some 
>feel pre-existing bonds prevent it . <snip> . It's one of those *many* areas 
>where I think SCA practice should bow to modern beliefs rather than 
>period practice.
It's not precisely bowing to modern beliefs only. Later on in the "feudal 
period", the Church decided that clerics and monks could not, should not, 
swear fealty and/or do homage to anyone not in the Church hierarchy; it 
was felt that your typical priest should have his primary and sole oaths 
sworn to the Lord and to the Church, for a person could not serve two 
masters, one religious and one worldly.
In addition, there are references to period fealty oaths that specify that a 
vassal would swear fealty to his new lord with the exception "save my 
fealty to the king" (or similar wording). It was presumed that some vassals, 
later in period, would have some sort of duty (precise or vague, I'm not 
sure) to the king which might preclude certain requests of his lord.
And this doesn't cover multiple fealty (which happened), or promises 
growing out of family bonds, or spouses, or vows made by non-religious 
personnel to the Church . . . 

Pug Gervase said
>IMO, the oath of fealty is to the Crown, not to the King and Queen. 
>Basically the oath you are giving is to protect the Kingdom and the office 
>of Crown from those who would damage it. 
This is standard SCA fealty. In period, your oath would not have been to 
an impersonal thing such as "The Crown"; it would have been to the king, 
or queen, or duke, or whatever. It would have been difficult for an office or 
position to come to your defence; it was easy for the king, or duke, to do so. 
("Hey, I need help!  The Duchy come here, now!" wouldn't have worked. 
"Hey, Duke! HELLLLLLLP!" would get tons of people and armor. . . )
Mind you, swearing an oath to protect an abstract office is a nifty idea (if I 
remember correctly, don't presidents swear an oath to preserve the office of 
the presidency of the U.S., or something similar?) - but it's not a period 
concept.

>Personal oathes of fealty should be done in private. 
They were, down low on the social scale, sort of; I haven't seen any direct 
evidence for this, but I imagine even the lowest of the low, when fealty was 
sworn, would have at least two or three witnesses. You know, sort of like 
marriages in Las Vegas Chapels of Love; even a $2 wedding has a couple of 
witnesses. . . . (Hmmmm. . . Alban's Chapel of Fealty! $2, and you get a 
full-fledged fealty ceremony, complete with witnesses, a hand-signed 
Certificate of Authenticity, and a 100% virgin plastic belt in the right color!) 
The higher you got, though, the more important it was that fealty and 
homage be done in public, because with more spectators, the harder it was 
for either party to get out of the oaths they'd just sworn. With land and 
money and military support being promised on both sides, the higher the 
value, the more necessary it was to have witnesses to prevent one or both 
parties from backsliding or felony. (Felony was defined early on 
specifically as a deliberate breaking of the feudal oath, if I remember 
correctly.) And, remember, later on in period many people loved 
ceremony, and pomp, and circumstance; to them, it was fun, and having a 
public oath of fealty from, oh, your typical duke, to your typical king might 
have made for a day or two of celebration. 
In the SCA, the locale for personal oaths vary. Some kingdoms demand 
oaths between associates and peers be done anywhere but in court; others 
allow it, but don't make a big deal out of it. My fealty was done outside of 
court, but very publicly; there must have been 30 or 40 people watching us 
go at it.

Alban, fealty goob

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