[Ansteorra] What we are fanstasy vs history

[Stefan li Rous]

On Apr 18, 2010, at 12:24 PM, willowdewisp at juno.com wrote:

> We in Ansteorra have always set our own standards. We read the  
> corpora and believed in studying history. But that didn't mean we  
> didn't have fun or did not have fantasy. We discovered that people  
> in History had good times and played at fantasy. The Round Table  
> tournaments proved that along with the Masques and Fetes and  
> Carnival and festivals all through the year. The May day festivals  
> with Robin Hood.
> People of the past were just in love with escapism as we were. The  
> full size Dragon going across the hall at the "Feast of Pleas ants"  
> in the 15Th century. They dressed up and played at fantasy all the  
> time.

For some similar info:
p-cstume-prty-msg (8K) 1/15/08 Period/medieval costume parties.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/CELEBRATIONS/p-cstume-prty-msg.html

I would love to have more information on the period costuming, role- 
playing and fantasy which the Duchess alludes to.

I think this is all fine, this recreating of fantasy within our re- 
creation, provided we can keep straight which is which. Someone  
walking around declaring themselves seriously to be a pirate or a  
fairy, in period or now, probably should not be taken seriously. And  
if they are, shown the place for crazies (Bedlam?), the jail, gallows  
or whatever is appropriate.

> In Early Ansteorra we had "under the Hill" events all the time and  
> quests that took us to many magical places.
> I think we have lost our way because we have began to equate "the  
> study of History" to writing five pages of Documentation.
> Yes, I am a Laurel and YES I said that. One of the main purposes of  
> the SCA is to learn and teach people about our time period. In the  
> beginning we believe the important thing was for individuals to  
> acquire knowledge. If I know Romanesques painting and you do a good  
> Romanesques painting and I talk to you and you show me that you know  
> what you know Why should I ask you to write a 5 page paper stating  
> what we both know. It is redundant.

If it is only for your own knowledge, yes.

> But if you do something or find something that is not common  
> knowledge then a paper is needed and should be put in a library so  
> everyone can expand their knowledge.

Exactly. And just because you know the subject, or part of a subject,  
that is no reason you can't ask or encourage someone else to write  
down what they know. The 60 percent of the subject they know might not  
align perfectly with the 60 percent of the subject you know. And that  
paper might well help someone else who only knows 10 percent of the  
subject. Or perhaps both of you could write papers and together you  
would cover 80 percent of the subject and not just 60 percent.

That paper could be written for an A&S contest. But that is such a  
small audience. I'd recommend writing up that paper and sending it to  
Stefan to put in the Florilegium and thus reach folks across the Known  
World. I'm sure there are experts in Ansteorra that could help teach  
the rest of the Known World about a lot of things, if they'd just sit  
down and put their words down on paper or better in an electronic  
format.

> Many people have come to Ansteorra seeking to find out  why  
> Ansteorra has so much Art and Science and it was this way of looking  
> at things that cause it. We do history and Art because we find it fun.

So, how are other folks going to know what Ansteorrans find is fun in  
Arts and Sciences unless they see it in person or in paper or  
electronic format? Let other folks know about what you are doing!  And  
learn from them as well.

> willow de wisp Ancient member

Stefan
Only slightly ancient member
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****