ANST - Having a Knight Speak

[Dennis Grace]

Salut cozyns,

Lyonel aisai.

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

- and Viscount Galen replied:

>Ancient Ansteorran tradition.

Actually, it's an ancient Atenveldt Tradition, one which Ansteorra elected 
to maintain.

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

- and Galen replies:

>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.

Actually, I think it was originally a bit more complicated.  The Rules of 
the List in the SCA Marshal's Handbook require that, "All combatants must be 
presented to, and be acceptable to, the Sovereign or his or her 
representative."  This rule certainly encompasses safety, but I believe it 
also asks for a judgment on the combatant's chivalry.

We all have someone speaking for us.  The Crown has already decided that the 
members of the Chivalry, generally, are acceptable.  So in a sense, the 
Crown vouches for us.

I believe the idea originally was that other candidates may not have been 
discussed in the circle might be otherwise unknown to the Crown. In that 
case, the logical next best solution is to have a member of the Chivalry 
speak for the individual.

Gunnora asks:
> >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.

I would call this a reasonable but incomplete solution.  Any peer may not 
spend a good deal of time observing the interaction of combatants on the 
list field.  I know Laurels and Pelicans alike who, for one reason or 
another, pay little or no attention to the goings on upon the list field.  
To further complicate matters, I believe I can state with some certainty 
that many fighters are different people in armor than out. In some cases the 
differences are astounding. Thus, a Laurel or Pelican might be able to vouch 
for an individual's character off the field, but that is no surety on the 
field.

Remember, however, that this is a somewhat ritualized matter.

>From what I've seen, the Ansteorran Crown usually asks if anyone will speak 
for each non-Chivalry fighter.  In many cases, knights are standing by 
offering to speak for each individual before the Crown gets around to 
asking.

I have seen Atenveldt Crowns in which, after each combatant (regardless of 
rank) was presented to the Crown, the Herald would ask, "Who will speak for 
this [wo]man?"  Knights and Masters at Arms were expected to answer for 
themselves and for their squires. Others were usually according to prior 
arrangement.  On two occasions, I heard the King speak up and say, "We find 
this candidate acceptable."

Now, let's suppose Mistress Gunnora wanted to protest that, as a Peer of the 
Realm, she wished to speak for herself.  I think this would be a matter for 
the discretion of the Crown.

lo vostre por vos servir
Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace

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