[Ansteorra] RE: the Attack of the "Authenticity Police"

[Marc Carlson]

>...Ok, let's take your notion and apply it fully.
>NO electricity
>NO running water
>NO indoor plumbing
>NO way to make ice to preserve food
>NO propane gas appliences
>NO coffee OR tea
>NO concept of sanitation

Actually, that sounds pretty interesting to me - although I would suggest 
that the last one should be "a -medieval- concept of sanitation".  OTOH, I 
know I'm not the norm on this (suggest a "primitive site" to people and they 
start to edge away from you slowly).

Your rant is interesting, but inherently flawed.  No one is _telling_ anyone 
that people have to do it THEIR way.  Mostly there have been comments that 
X,Y, or Z isn't accurate, but if you want to do it, go for it.  That sounds 
to me like the -opposite- of telling people that they HAVE to do it a 
proscribed way.

This is the SCA, which as harsh as it seems to say it, has virtually no 
standards regarding authenticity or accuracy (beyond, as Gunnora says, an 
_attempt_ at pre-1600 attire).  Therefore people who would try to tell you 
that you HAVE to do anything have no ground to stand on.

MOST of the people I know who do authenticity have found that it's really 
fun and cool and want to share it because they believe you might find it as 
much fun as they do.

Marc/Diarmaid