ANST - Having a Knight Speak For You?

[Paul Mitchell]

Galen here...

Gunnora asked,
>First, *why* does a knight have to speak for you?  

Ancient Ansteorran tradition.

>Are they certifying that you are safe?  Isn't that the marshallate's job, and
>doesn't the fighter authorization take care of that?

I actually believe that this is the original purpose.  This 
tradition pre-dates the practice of requiring authorizations
Society-wide.  Ansteorra was one of the kingdoms that didn't
authorize fighters until it was required by the BoD to do so.

>Are they certifying that you have the leadership qualities needed to be Crown?
>If so, then the law needs to be changed so that *any* peer can speak for you
>in this regard.  

You can certainly suggest that to the Crown.

>After all, a peer is a peer is a peer, right?  

What a big question to bury in the midst of a paragraph.
I'll think I'll take this to a whole 'nother thread.

>When we processed
>in at Crown Tourney, I was ranked with the knights as a peer, based on date
>of elevation. 

Of course you were.  That was a march of precedence, and peers
are ranked equal to each other, taking their precedence from
the date of their peerage.  Non-peers who were landed Barons
marched ahead of you.

One of the prerogatives of the Chivalry is that we have the
right (and some say the duty) to fight in Crown Tourney.  
According to the Rules of the List, the Sovereign must
find each fighter and his prospective consort acceptable;
our Sovereign consults with the Chivalry in this regard.

>I didn't have a knight speak for me at Crown, unless  that was taken care of
>when I wasn't looking (say, during the Belted Circle).  

Or, say, while you were up kneeling in front of the thrones,
and several knights publically honored you by vouching for
you to the king.  As was done for every un-belted fighter
in the list.  Too bad you didn't notice.

At the belted circle before the list, we make sure there
won't be a situation in which someone comes up and no one
is willing to speak for him (saw it happen once).  But we
speak publically for each fighter, unless the Crown opts
to hear our counsel privately, which hasn't happened in the
last few years, I'm pleased to say.

>But I'd think that any
>peer should be able to fight, and any peer should be able to speak for a non-peer
>combatant to enter Crown Lists.

That's a worthy idea, and we can certainly add it to the
mix for when we burn the SCA to the ground and build it 
up again from scratch the way it _should_ have been done,
with all the other peerage-modifying ideas we've heard
here lately.  

>So, my brother and sister peers of the martial orders, what's up with this rule?

Here's my take on it; those senior to me may have better-
informed comments on how this system came about.

>::GUNNORA::

- Galen of Bristol
_____________________________________________________
John 20:21-23

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