ANST - Some rapier history (was:Proposal for a fourth Peerage)

[Chris and Elisabeth Zakes]

I'm afraid Her Grace has her facts a bit mixed up.


At 07:53 PM 10/2/99 -0700, you wrote:
>In the past we have not put Rapier fighting under the Laurel because we
>have been hoping for it to get put under knighthood or separate category
>under the Chivalry. It is a fighting art. 

Granted that rapier is a fighting art, there have never been more than a
small minority of the Belts who would be willing to see it included as part
of the Chivalry, either as a "regular" Knighthood, Master of Arms or a
separate category.


>A long time ago my husband and
>I had the choice of putting rapier fighting under the Laurel. Master
>Tivar was voted into the Laurel and the Pelican for his work in the
>rapier community. Duke Jonathan , then King Jonathan, gave him the choice
>of what he wanted. 

I was never formally offered a choice between the Laurel and the Pelican.
There was discussion among various peers and the Crown about whether the
work I'd been doing in developing rapier combat was more suited to the
Laurel (research, development and teaching of a period fighting style) or
to the Pelican (administrative work in writing the rules, setting up the
marshallate, etc.) 


>Jonathan explained that if Rapier fighting was put
>under the Laurel it would never be thought of as part of the Chivalry.
>Master Tivar chose the Pelican. I feel this was the right decision even
>today and hope in near future that rapier fighters will be recognize as
>members of the Chivalry. 

I don't think that's any more likely now than it was 20+ years ago when I
got my Pelican. 

>( As a historical note Duke Jonathan de Laufyson was the king that signed
in >the first light fighting rules.)


That depends on how you define 'first". Yes, the first set of rapier combat
rules for the Kingdom of Ansteorra were signed into law by the first Crown,
Jonathan and Willow. However, the *Principality* of Ansteorra had had
rapier fighting rules for over a year before we became a kingdom; our
parent kingdom of Atenveldt had official rapier fighting rules as well. The
first set of SCA-wide rapier fighting rules were put out by Duke Andrew of
Seldom Rest in AS XII (1977).

	-Tivar Moondragon
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