ANST - Ducal Prerogative

[Ronnie]

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.  

That the tradition is entrenched without common knowledge of its source
suggests that the Prerogative started in the SCA's earliest days.  Those
most beautiful of behaviors had nearly disappeared from mundane life --
honor, grace, chivalry and courtly behavior.  That's what the SCA was
designed to be all about.  Back then, Populace would have been few and
far-flung, Knights scarce, and the Ducal class a real rarity.  

Remember, this was 20- to 30-some years ago, just as our mundane world
started to recognize equalities in rights between men and women.  In those
days, "the Crown" was the King; not both King *and* Queen.  From those days
came two traditions as I know them: Knights are duty-bound to enter Crown
Lists; and Dukes may withdraw from a Crown List at any time.  

Conjecture: in that time, it may have been hard to field even 10 fighters
for a tournament.  So, maybe the "duty" ensured enough and worthy opponents
to make tournaments contests of skill and stamina.  Most Dukes are Knights
(are there any who are not?), and so had an obligation to enter, to fill the
Lists.  

Now, we've talked here about the dishonor of entering a List with no desire
to win -- how, by one's fighting, another who is otherwise qualified *won't*
win.  Logically, Ducal Prerogative offers an honorable way out of the
tensions  between duty and the dishonor of not fighting to win: while Dukes
fight in Crown Lists to honor their duty as Knights, the Prerogative lets
them honorably "opt out" of winning the Crown they've already carried twice.
There's a great measure of grace and honor in this: others have a chance at
the Thrones.  

There's also been some discussion here of the burdens of the Crown.  My
experience from being on Crown Courts -- which we in Ansteorra call
Entourages, is that words don't sufficiently describe the weight of time,
expense and obligation that sits between those Hats and the Thrones.  The
Prerogative recognizes the contributions of carrying those burdens twice, by
not forcing them to choose between duty and dishonor.

Feel free to use the meat of this post to ask in other Lists.  Maybe we'll
have an answer that will satisfy all the questions. 
Ronnie. 

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