ANST - Ducal Prerogative]

[Brent & Susan Rachel]

> Subject: ANST - Ducal Prerogative
> Date: Thu, 1 Jul 1999 10:46:33 -0700 (MST)
> From: ronna at primenet.com (Ronnie)
> Reply-To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
> To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
>
> It's obvious we need to connect across the Knowne World Lists and see if we
> can find the bottom, the beginning, and the thoughts behind this privilege.
> Perhaps the Bard Ioseph of Locksley, or his lady wife Cheri, who may be with
> us at ATYC from ancient Atenveldt, can share their knowledge with us.

As Mistress AEthelyan has pointed out before:

In the earliest days of the SCA Knights were obligated to fight in Crown
Tournament.  However, if you'd already won twice.., were a Duke.., you were
considered to have rendered that obligation IN FULL, and thus had the
prerogative NOT to enter a Crown Tournament.

I don't know how or when it developed that one who had won Crown twice or more
could enter then just drop out at will.

The fundamental documents of the SCA guarantee EVERYONE the right to withdraw
for any tournament.., in that any fighter may refuse to face another opponent
*without loss of honor* by yielding.  In essence, Ducal Prerogative, as it is
applied currently in Ansteorra, is a promise from the "Powers that be" that
though everyone have the right to withdraw, it will not be held against Dukes.

If such a variation of the original prerogative must exist, then it is best kept
in the hands of a few, lest some cabal enter Crown Tournament, and strategically
utilize their right to "yield" in order to forward a single candidate up the
tournament ladder.  The Crown would surely never forgive the perpetrators of
such a ploy, and the culprits would assuredly be found "unacceptable" for
several Crown Tournaments to come.  It is this type of retribution that
Ansteorra's Ducal Prerogative actually protects the Dukes from.

Baron Kazimir Petrovich



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