[Sca-cooks] Largesse: What to avoid.

[Deborah Hammons]

The problem here might be the definition of largesse.  I am sure when you
get more experience under your belt so to speak, SCA customs will get
clearer.  I would define largesse as something that will be provided to
either the Crown or Coronet to be distributed at Their disgression as a
"thank you".  That could be to another Crown, sitting Barons and Baronesses,
event and kitchen stewards.  My kitchen staff has routinely gotten a goody
basket, and they get to select what they want.   Food items do get put
there.  Jams and Jellies, spices, pickles.  They have been clearly marked as
to type and when made and by who.  In the scheme of things, you should be
able to find something you like in such a basket.  Someone making a specific
item to give to a specific person for say, 12th Night is a different thing
than largesse.
Aldyth

On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 9:58 AM, Judith Epstein <judith at ipstenu.org> wrote:

> On Aug 10, 2009, at 10:40 AM, Michael Gunter wrote:
>
>  I think it depends on what you mean by largess.
>> Are you making gift baskets or items to be given to the
>> Crown to use Themselves or for Them to give out?
>> BIG difference there.
>>
>
> I was talking about an item for an individual to give to another
> individual. When the item is supposed to be donated to a largesse "pool" to
> be re-gifted by royals or nobles to others willy-nilly, I think even more
> caution is warranted, especially in the food category and the religious item
> category. It's a pretty horrid offense not to accept something given from
> the heart, like largesse, but for some it's just as bad to accept the gift
> and have others see you accepting it. (Yes, I'm thinking of myself, here --
> I couldn't accept a  rosary, no matter how nicely offered, because I'm not
> religiously permitted to accept that type of thing. But because it's
> considered such a breach of etiquette to refuse a gift, I'd be stuck looking
> very rude, because I would give precedence to my religious principles over
> SCA etiquette. A person who has particularly severe allergies might be in
> the same position, with regard to largesse of foods.
>
> I know very well that those who offer largesse are trying to convey
> gratitude, warmth, welcome, and appreciation. They're doing out of kindness
> and magnanimity, and wouldn't dream of offering something that could place
> someone (like me, but not limited to me) in a very uncomfortable or socially
> untenable position. They wouldn't make a gift that could be so problematic,
> if they only knew that it would be such an issue for the recipient. I
> mention this in order to bring it to attention that a gift of this nature
> could provide a great social stumbling block for someone whose religious or
> health issues could very well require them to refuse such a gift.
>
> Judith / no SCA name yet
> _______________________________________________
> Sca-cooks mailing list
> Sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/sca-cooks-ansteorra.org
>