ARCH - Champions History

[Scott Powers]

Just a bit of history here for perspective, at least as I remember it.

Many years ago, we had only the King's Champion.  This was instituted
because it was considered unseemly for the King to engage in personal
combat to defend his honor.  So if someone was uncouth enough to insult the
King, then it was the duty of the King's Champion to go out and trounce the
villenous lout.

Then the Don's came along, and someone decided that from their ranks would
be chosen a champion to defend the Queen's honer, should anyone be low-born
enough to insult a Queen of Ansteorra.

The Royal Huntsman seems to me to be little bit different.  I was and am
not privy to discussions about the origins of this position, but it appears
that it was decided to create an archery championship that filled an actual
period niche, ergo: the Royal Huntsman.  To my limited knowledge, the job
description in period was to know and guide the Crown to where the game
was, so that the Crown and their friends could spend their leisure time
catching game instead of looking for it.  I suppose it likely that this
person was also required to put game food on the Royal Table when the Crown
was disinclined to hunt.  Perhaps someone with more knowledge of period
practice could correct my inevitable mistakes, but I think I am at least
close on the job description.  The very name of the Royal Hunstman seems to
indicate that it is not a combat related job.

So while there is certainly respect for this title, it may be a different
kind of respect than goes to the other Champions.  But you are right, it is
a good first step.

A possible second step would be to talk to the Crown about another archery
championship for combat archery instead of target archery.  Call it the
Archer Guardian or some such.  His/her job will be to quickly eliminate
foreign archers on the battle field who seek to put arrows in our King.
(How rude!)  Obviously that would be a combat archery tournament.  I
foresee a list with combat archers shooting and dodging arrows.  I would
hate to be a spectator for such a tournament ( i.e. Why is there an arrow
in my mug? ). :)

Or here's a hoot:  Compete for the King's or Queen's Champion with archery
equipment only.  If you could win that (or even survive a round or two)
with arrows, then that would certainly garner attention and respect for
archery.  I know this is a silly idea and would require changing the way
the championships are set up.  But who knows, it could happen.

Rumil




>This is a positive first step towards getting the Royal
>Huntsman the same recognition and respect that is
>afforded the other royal champions.
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