[Hellsgate] "My lord", "my lady"

[Jen Atkinson]

Personally, I found the Society anthropology fascinating. I have a tendency to refer to folks by "ma'am" and "sir" so this was really a neat read. Thanks for the knowledge, Daniel and Detlef!!

Helene



On Sep 12, 2012, at 9:30 PM, Tim McDaniel <tmcd at panix.com> wrote:

> I should note that I was not intending to criticize, but to give
> information.
> 
> On Wed, 12 Sep 2012, HerrDetlef <herrdetlef at gmail.com> wrote:
>> "My lord" and "my lady" are forms of address. Anybody in the
>> SCA--from King/Queen to newcomer--can be addressed as "my lord" or
>> "my lady."
> 
> I would have no qualms in bowing to our lovely baroness and saying
> "Good my lady, how does the day?".  You can get away with some right
> serious [excrement] if you know it's period and if you can bring it
> off With *Style*.
> 
>> It is period--barely.
> 
> Oh, it's better than that.  I have _The Lisle Letters_, edited by
> Muriel St. Clare Byrne, selected and arranged by Bridget Boland.  It's
> an excerpt from the papers of Arthur, Viscount Lisle, from the reign
> of Henry VIII.  They elided much of the openings and closings, but
> they kept some info, with a lovely style.  I commend them to anyone
> who wants to look at style and polish.  Starts of openings include
> 
>    Right honourable and my singular good Lord, in my heartiest manner
>    I recommend me unto your good lordship, ...
> 
>    Right honourable Sir, in my heartiest manner I commend me unto
>    you, ...
> 
>    After my right hearty recommendations unto your good lordship, ...
>    [I'll omit the heartiness and [re]commendations below, but they do
>    continue]
> 
>    My very good Lord, ... [Duke of Norfolk, premier non-royal peer of
>    England, to Lord Lisle]
> 
>    My singular good lord, ... [an untitled person to Lord Lisle,
>    suggesting that there wasn't much of a status indication there]
> 
>    Sir, ...
> 
>    Right honourable and my most special good lady, my duty evermore
>    remembered. ...
> 
>    Madam, ...
> 
>    Right honourable lady, ...
> 
>    Monsieur, ... [a Frog writing, but good English folk use it too]
> 
>    Right honourable, ...
> 
>    My Lord, ... [Cranmer to Lord Lisle]
> 
>    Right honourable and my most dear and singular good lord and lady,
>    ... [their son writing to his parents]
> 
>    Right honourable and mine especial good lady, My duty done, ...
> 
>    Right honourable Lady, my lady Lisle, ...
> 
>    Mr. Pope, ... [Thomas Pope, not the one in Rome]
> 
> Now these are written forms of address, and without research I don't
> know what they did in speaking.  But I speculate that these sorts of
> things might have been said, though perhaps more briefly.
> 
> Dinky de Linoleum
> -- 
> Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com
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