SC - Chivalry, a definition & some thoughts

[Seton1355]

In a message dated 5/16/98 9:58:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time, LrdRas at aol.com
writes:

<< Which brings up a whole new subject, I hope. :-) Since chivalry is to be
practised in the SCA. How do cook personas best portray the code of chivalry?
What is the true definition of chivalry as opposed to all the appendages that
are hung on it? Is chivalry pertinent to to cook personas or has it becokme a
term that is so vague that it has become undefinable? How can cook personas be
examples of not only chivalry but also other qualities such as honor which are
important to the SCA?>>

I too have been wondering why the term "chivalry" has been used interchangably
with the term/idea of courtesy in the SCA  So I just looked up the definition
of chivalry:

>From Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary 
Second Addition,  
Dorset & Baber 
1979

chivalry: N. [ME chevalerie, knighthood, from cheval, a horse...]
1.  The rank or position of a knight (Obs)
2.  The qualifications of a knight, as valor, nobility, fairness, courtesy,
respect for women, protection of the poor, etc.  
3.  The demonstration of any kind of knightly qualities.
4,  The medieval system of knighthhod
5.  An adventure or exploit (Obs)
6.  A group of knights or gallant gentlemen

I suspect that what we really are looking for, in the broader sense  of the
SCA, is courtesy and respect.  Chivalry, specificly,  it would seem has more
to do with the practices of the knighthood.
Chivalry it would seem becomes intertwined with curteousness when we look at
definition #2.

Just something to think about.
In service,
Phillipa Seton, Incipient Shire of Coombe Phoenix/Bloomsburg  PA
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