[Ansteorra] RE: What has happened?

[Marc Carlson]

>From: Snorri Hallsson <snorri.hallsson at gmail.com>
>I have to interject here with this aside.
>  As Ansteorrans it is an assumed thing that a lady is escorted before the
>Crown in court. It's Just What's Done. The next court you attend, do not
>assume this thing lightly. At my first event in the Midrealm I was shocked
>to find the custom here is that ladies go unescorted to the thrones. After
>eight and a half years of Ansteorran custom, I just assumed that's what was
>done everywhere, and I was a little disappointed to discover that wasn't 
>so....

I should point out that this has not always been the case in Ansteorra, and 
not everyone agrees with it, even here.

What I am about to say, I know a lot of you will disagree with - and that's 
fine.  I really don't expect anyone to change how they do things because of 
me :)

As an example of those who do not agree with this practice, I do not escort 
my wife into court (nor conversely am I escorted into court by her).  This 
is because we both feel, quite strongly, that the person is getting called 
into court because of something they did.  For me to escort her up there is 
to make a tacit statement that she is my property, and requires my presence 
to acknowledge her achievements.  This is *particularly* true since she 
ranks me in the the Order of Precedence.

It the Crown insists that she be escorted, I'll find a herald to present her 
(and not in the current trendy way of emulating Geoffrey in the Kinghts Tale 
(which has its place certainly), but something more sedate and dignified, 
like how people are presented before mundane royal courts.

As I said, I'm not trying to convince anyone to change what they are doing, 
and I even understand that some people really like the whole escorting 
thing, and it's even a meaningful experience for them.  And for those folks, 
the more power to them.

That being said, multiple people racing to escort a woman up into court 
sucks the attention away from the woman, and does her no honor.  In extreme 
cases, which I daresay we've all seen, it's renders the proceedings into a 
farce.  I know that's not the idea, but it draws the attention away from the 
person who has business there (think of a wedding with a juggler walking 
behind the bride -- who are you going to be watching?  Really.)

Marc/Diarmaid