[Sca-cooks] Re: holding doors

[Bonne of Traquair]

>On Tue, 19 Jun 2001, Bonne of Traquair wrote:
> > >BTW and in a similar vein how about going into court.  Opinions on if
>all
> > >women need tobe escorted into court
> > >Maddalena
> >
> > Having been raised in Atlantia, I say of course.


>I, a usual lurker here, am hereby forced out of lurkdom by this statement.
>I personally feel that if *I* am the one being honored, then it is up to
>*me* as to the issue of having someone accompany me forward.

I never said it was not up to the lady in question. Ladies do refuse escort
and walk up on their own, and it is no breach of etiquette or cause for
comment and happens regularly.  (I take that back, it may be cause for
comment if the lord of the lady in question is known to be on-site, if for
no other reason than if he isn't escorting her, he must not be in court, and
isn't it a shame he isn't here to see her being appreciated by Their
Majesties or Their Excellencies.)

>If someone jumps out and starts to manhandle me by grabbing my
>arm, they might get unexpectedly introduced to the law of momentum, as I
>most likely outweigh you.

If someone is manhandling, they are quite rudely missing the point.  Any
effort beyond standing up within your line of sight and offering their arm
for your convenience is the wrong thing to do.

>
>This rant is brought on by the disparity of honoring people. Gentlemen are
>not forced to be accompanied, and they are given the opportunity to enjoy
>the individual spotlight of being honored.  By requiring a lady to be
>escorted, it is implied that she is unable to do anything by herself.

I interpret an excort it as a show of respect from her lord, or some other
friend and an increase rather than dilution of the honors due her.

>I realize
>that most who take the 'lady must be escorted' view do not perceive
>matters in this light.  And you are well within your rights to think so.
>But that does not take into consideration the feelings and beliefs of the
>person you are forcing your views upon.

Forcing?  I merely stated what seems to be standard behavior, most likely
the result of the SCA Kingdom of Atlantia being roughly parallel to a
section of the world that long held onto courtly manners anyway.  I LIKE
being escorted into court, it fits my definition of 'lady' and is
historically correct.  I enjoy walking with my lord, I appreciate friends
stepping up in my support in his absence.  That you see it differently is,
as you said, 'well within your rights'.

Lady Bonne


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com