ANST - Bananas and Historical Accuracy

[I. Marc Carlson]

<"K.C. Moon" <kmoon at texas.net>>
>>Why couldn't you "legally" bring them before?  No one stopping you.
>>Either you bring them because you want them and aren't concerned with
>>historical accuracy, or you don't bring them because you do care and realize
>>that because a single bananna was found in a trash site dating from the 1400s
>>to the 1600s that doesn't mean it was commonly done or even normal. 
>No offense meant to Diarmaid, but I like bananas... I am also concerned with 
>historical accuracy.  I don't feel the two are mutually exclusive...
>Since I have recently attended events where SCA members themselves sit by
>the list-field wearing t-shirts and jeans, I think we have more pressing
>concerns than public consumption of bananas.

[I've trimmed your message for brevity and what I see were the 
specific points (If I have erred, please forgive me, and correct me).]

Ma'am,
There is certainly no offense taken.  My point was somwhat similar, I 
think, to the earlier point in your message.  Do it, it's not important.
I also realise the original poster was joking, but I felt that it was
a joke that covers something of no real importance.

We may disagree on whether they are mutually exclusive, but that's fine
also.  It may be that I define "historical accuracy" a bit more rigidly
than some, but that's really ok too.  The sort of effort a person wants
to make toward being accurate is really a personal decision they have to
make for themselves.  Some people aren't interested in that, and that's 
cool.  It's certainly not my place to tell anyone not to take bananas to 
events, or to wear jeans to the list field, or whatever.  They can play
the game however they want to.

However, it IS my place (and anyone else's who chooses to) to point out
the basic fallacy inherent in the expression that because something was
possible, that means it WAS done that way.  Particularly since there is
the only the single example, and the documentary evidence suggests that
it was not done.

Marc/Diarmaid
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