SC - Generalities.

[James F. Johnson]

Gunthar Said:>

 I don't think I've seen a single time when someone was taken
> on the field and beaten as a challenge of honor. There has been
> once or twice
> when, during a tournament they were hit a little harder or deliberately in
> a tender spot as a reminder of proper behavior but never an "armor up
> varlet" sort of thing.
>
> Sounds more like SCA urban legend to me.

>snip<

I've seen and heard a knight issue a challenge to a non-fighter for
insulting the knight's female.  The insult?  The gentleman had the
misfortune to be the third person to be asked by the autocrat to request
that the female and her clique please smoke somewhere besides the entryway
to the main event hall.  It was a sort of air-lock arrangement so when
anyone wanted to come in or out they had to pass through this smoke filled
room.  When they came into the hall, the smoke came with them.

Upon being asked in a reasonable manner (I was there, I heard it) to go
outside or somewhere away from the event site, as required by Kingdom Law,
the female chewed the gentle up one side and down the other, then ran
weeping to her "knight" who immediately issued a challenge to settle the
matter on the field.  The gentleman in question apologized if he had been
over-stern in his request, but this was not accepted.

Later the knight in question issued his challenge in writing.  At that point
I called upon the Royalty, and had a household member who was also a mundane
lawyer point out this was something like assault with threat of battery.  It
took that plus threats of a Court of Chivalry to make this knight give up
the dream of beating an older man and non-fighter into a pulp on the field.

Regina Romsey
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