ES - What is a Page??

[Christine Huse]

Children that were pages (from what I have read) were assigned to families 
that could teach them a skill (fighting, a job, an art or scince). They were 
there to learn from their mentor and help his mentor and family. Depending 
upon the mentor, depended upon what they were taught.

I think in our society a page should be treated with the same respect as 
their mentor is expected to be treated (I think that in our society that 
this would be expected). The mentor would be responsible teaching them a 
skill or skills that the page is interested in (arts, sciences, fighting, 
heraldry, courtly graces).

The relationship, of course, would vary depending upon the age of the page. 
It could be an informal relationship, much like His Excellency and Anbjorn 
or a structured/formal relationship that could include the mentor making 
arrangements for the page to be at a certain event and do certain tasks at 
that event.

The page program I have been referring to would be very flexible. Of course 
there would be rules that would need to be laid out for the protection of 
everyone. The reason why I think this would be a successful program is that 
we have artists and fighters who would be willing to teach their trade to a 
child/teen, but have no idea of what child is interested in what activity. 
Some of the parents and the children (like my family) are very eager to 
learn these trades, but don't want to impose upon the fighter or artist.

Last night at A&S class, we were discussing this very same issue. One of our 
artists stated that she wants to take a child under her wing and teach the 
child her knowledge.

I think that this warrants further discussion of how such a program could be 
set up and managed successfully.

Gracias, Darius, for starting an enlightning and thought provoking 
discussion! You brought up a topic that I have been seriously thinking of 
for some months now and just never knew how to bring it up. :-)

Maria

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Ok we have discussed at length many excellent ideas. As people seem to
like the idea and concept of taking pages, I now ask "What is a page?"

I know a little.  I know Pages were often children of noble families
sent to be of service to another noble.  Durring this time of service
they would also attend court at times with their foster family and learn
the ways of the court, the graces required, heraldry of the court, and
how to act and be a gentle of rank and station. As well they were
playmates and friends to the children of the family they lived with.

In our context of historical recreation how should we treat a page? What
duties should be standard responsibilities and roles of Page and the
gentle they are page to? I know some of these will most certainly
defined by individual agreement between page, parents and noble, such as
the relationship between Arnbjorn and HE Galen. What I am asking is a
general baseline of what we expect of ourselves and a page given the
situation of the relationship.

At Home in Elfsea
Darius
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