[Sca-cooks] *Sigh* That tomato thing - again

[otsisto]

-----Original Message-----
<<That's an opinion some would argue with; one could as easily say the SCA
is being taken somewhat more seriously for its scholarship now than it used
to be, and an increased emphasis on documentation is one
reason for that. Of course, nobody is making anyone prepare or read
documentation they don't want to.>>

De: Yet there can be such a strong emphases on documentation that it
intimidates the new people. The feeling that one may find someone in their
face being told to "prove it".

<<< Are these the first things you think of when you think of life in late
medieval Europe, or the first thing you'd teach someone else in preparing
them to wake up in the morning to live A Day In The Middle Ages?>>>>

De: It is because of the above statement that newcomers think that SCA only
deals with the Middle Ages. I have heard at least 10 people in the past year
say something to the effect of "I wouldn't be interested in the SCA as they
only do Medieval and I am interested in the Renaissance."

<<I think that to a great extent, people looking to play this game, unless
they're in it for the beer, in which case they can play anywhere, and
consciously or not, are looking into bringing to life the great forces that
shaped period life -- the shift from tribalism to nationalism that leads to
the development of kingdoms and feudalism.

De: The first line with the beer I think, is a wee bit insulting. Most come
into the SCA for the lets pretend and maybe learn a little history in the
processes. But when a new person given the impression that SCA is a
hardcore, must be documented, kit must be accurate kind o'group, there is
more of a chance of them leaving. A rare few join wearing the extreme
research and documentation genes. :)

<<You know, the Age Of Chivalry, where it came from and where it went.>>

De: I have heard the "Age of Chivalry" debated many o' time. Were the Middle
Ages that chivalric or are we recreating an 1800s notion?