[MR] Authenticity is Good, no Joke (long)

[David Wendelken]

>
>Good morning, All, from Werhener in Caer Mear,
>
>Once again, it is time to jump into the fray and adopt the 
>unpopular stance.

>
>I have read, with interest, the lengthy discussion about the 
>role authenticity should play and, I must say, I do delight in 
>the interplay of rapier-like wit.

One of the nice things about this organization is that it's ok to do
that in a polite manner!

>
>Authenticity is good..  Authentic kit is good.  It is my 
>understanding that the Chivalry have discussed this matter at 
>length and are on-board for the upcoming rule change.  They, I 
>presume, will be abandoning all of their inauthentic kit in 
>favor of pieces which can be documented to the period in which 
>their persona is placed, as an example to us all. 

That statement, along with most of the comments below, are a GROSS
-- and I repeat - a GROSS mis-statement of the new rules 
on combat armour on the field.

Their Majesties bent over backwards to come up with a way of 
improving the APPEARANCE OF AUTHENTICITY that is:

a) SIMPLE,
b) INEXPENSIVE, and
c) INOBTRUSIVE.

No one has to get rid of a single piece of equipment.  Not one.
All they have to do is cover it in some manner if it is made out of an
obviously modern material to an uneducated layman.

Even the average American strongly suspects that knights did now wear
plastic armor and nylon combat boots.

Covering obviously modern items as required by the new law requires
little to no craft skill.
It is cheap and easy to do, and for most fighters could be done in an
evening at most.

The new law does not require authenticity at all.  It just requires a
reasonable attempt at an APPEARANCE of authenticity.

I do not like the new law, because I would prefer the use of the carrot
instead of the stick, and the encouragement of cooperative efforts to
improve our overall appearance.  But it is carefully crafted and well
thought out law, calculated to make a big improvement in our appearance
of authenticity for the least amount of effort and cost possible.

Many of the objections to the new law have been couched in terms that
are worthy of Chicken Little, who ran around clucking "The sky is
falling!  The sky is falling!"  They either grossly exaggerate what the
new law requires to make their point, or they were written in complete
ignorance of what the law actually requires.  

Your statements, while probably meant to be sarcastically funny, also
serve to spread further confusion on what the new law actually requires.
I don't think that helps matters.

As for what the Chivalry of Atlantia are doing about the new law, we are
conforming to it or we will be barred from the field, just like any
other Atlantian subject.  We are bound by the laws of the realm just
like everyone else.
  
As for stainless steel, I've seen documentation that some mail was
tin-coated to prevent rust.
Just pretend it's a tin coating. :)  

OUTSIDE OF THE CURRENT DISCUSSION about the new law on armour
appearance, your comments would have been very apt and very thought
provoking.
There are many aspects of our current martial sport of knightly combat
that encourages inappropriate historical techniques.
I would love to conduct some experiments to see which aspects that you
mention could be safely included into our combat repertoire.
Perhaps those of us who are interested in doing so can approach the
marshallate together with a game plan for experimentation.

You and I know that some of your comments, while true, were also just
hyperbole to help you make your point.

I've included the guidelines from the Atlantian Earl Marshal's page for
the edification of those who have not read it:
If you come away from reading this with a feeling that doing this would
be "too hard, too expensive, or too time-consuming" then consider
yourself "arts-challenged" and ask for help!  

----------------------------------------
General: 

1. The fighter should appear as a reasonable example of a warrior from
the SCA's period of study (600 to 1600 A.D., per Corpora)to the casual
observer. 

2. All armor, shields, and equipment on the field are subject to the
acceptance of the Crown or Their chosen representatives. 

3. These rules are to be enforced for all participants on the field
(except as indicated in the following). This includes marshals, fighters
(both armored and rapier), combat archers, scouts and siege crews. Water
bearers are specifically exempt from these rules. 

Inspections: 

1. Participants will be inspected at the same time as safety inspections
and will be asked to sit out if their equipment is deemed unacceptably
modern. 

2. Damaged covering materials which expose a modern component will be
judged unacceptable during the inspections held prior to any tournament
or battle. Damage that occurs after the inspections will not result in
ejection from participation in the combat the inspection covered.
Combatants should however make a good faith effort to repair such damage
as soon as possible. 

Unacceptable Items: 

1. Undisguised plastic may not be used as a component of any armor,
clothing, decorative accessories, weapons, footwear or other item worn
or used by a participant in combat in the kingdom of Atlantia if that
component is completely or partially visible to other combat
participants or spectators. 

2. Uncovered carpet armor, undisguised sports gear, "blue jeans",
military type fatigues, obviously-modern footwear, uncovered hockey
gloves and all other undisguised equipment clearly "modern" in nature
from 10 feet distant are explicitly banned from the field. This also
includes items displaying visible commercial logos and bumper stickers. 
   
   . The following guidance is provided 
     for determining acceptable forms of footgear: 

     .  Leather or leather-look boots, in a 
        color consistent with period practice 
        are acceptable. This includes standard 
        leather combat boots, but would exclude 
        leather/nylon boots. 
     .  Use of borderline acceptable footgear 
        that is of a color that causes it to stand 
        out (from at least 10 feet) from the rest 
        of the armor is not acceptable. 

3. Plastic armor or modern sports equipment, whether kydex, ABS, HDDP or
other, foam, pads, footwear, etc. should at all times be covered, unless
it can positively contribute to the appearance of a fighter. 

4. All plastic or modern sports equipment must be covered in a manner to
disguise the material in an attempt to display historical pre-17th
century armor to the average passerby. 

Covering: 

1. A modern (e.g. plastic materials, modern sports equipment) component
may be used if it is hidden from view, by covering it with opaque
covering materials not made of plastic, including but not strictly
limited to; leather, metal, textiles with a period appearance and, where
appropriate, stone or wood. Tapes, paints, stains, dyes, foils, films,
transparent or translucent materials and any other inadequate or
insubstantial coverings shall not be deemed an acceptable covering
material. 

2. Covering materials which meet the letter of the law, but violate its
spirit, will be banned at the discretion of the Sovereign or Their
designated representatives. The spirit of the law includes making a
reasonable attempt to recreate the appearance of items that would be
used or worn in a melee or tournament in Europe prior to the 17th
century in the periods commonly referred to as the Medieval or
Renaissance. 

Exceptions: 

1. Plastic and other modern materials specifically required to promote
safety or those that are medically required are exempt from this ruling.
However, every attempt must be made, in good faith, to disguise those
items. These items include, but are not limited to: eyeglasses or sports
glasses when needed to correct a deficiency of vision, safety glasses,
orthopedic footwear, required joint braces, etc. 

2. Items of common question (lamellar, lacquered pieces or other
unusual, but documented period designs) may be permitted at the
discretion of the Crown or Their representative only if the appearance
of that item can not be distinguished from its period counterpart and
its display embraces the idea of historical pre-17th century armor. 

3. Hand protection and shield edges may be made of plastic materials.
However, it is the owner's responsibility to attempt to disguise the
appearance of those items to bring them in compliance with the spirit of
this law. Uncovered hockey gloves are forbidden. 

4. If there are site restrictions regarding use of non-marking soles,
waivers for modern footgear may be obtained from the Earl Marshal,
relevant deputies or the Crown. 

5. Participants that are residents of another kingdom are to be
considered our guests and are exempt from this ruling provided they meet
SCA minimum standards. Newly transplanted citizens of Atlantia are to be
granted a reasonable period of time (4 months per Kingdom Law, Section
10.1.4.5) to come into compliance with this rule. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Andras

> That is 
>also good. If we are headed in the direction of authenticity, 
>are we going to disallow stainless steel plate?  Or shall we 
>mandate that persons must actually fight in the armor on which 
>our acknowledgement standards are purportedly based? (My, that 
>would put the cat in amongst the pigeons, wouldn't it.) Are we 
>going to disallow shield baskets and sword baskets?  If such 
>thing existed at all, they were very uncommon in period.  I 
>have not seen any on the web sites I frequent.  Are we going 
>to allow an ax or a great sword to chop away a shield and 
>expose the soft underbelly of the shield-person beneath?  
>Shall we allow combat to be fought as combat was fought, with 
>grappling and butt strokes included?  It would surely be a 
>different game if it were authentic. With regard to coleman 
>chairs, they are no less period, for the mass of the populous, 
>than the finest curial chair.  Most people did not have chairs 
>at all and would certainly NEVER take them outside to lounge 
>about at a tournament.  Perhaps coleman makes benches.
>
>Perhaps we should increase authenticity elsewhere in the 
>organization as well.  Are we going to ban conversations about 
>Windows (except of course in the context of openings in a 
>wall) and other aspects of mundane technology? Shall we insist 
>the Autocrats and event staff communicate by runners and leave 
>their walkie-talkies at home?  Perhaps our cooks should eschew 
>the modern stoves and cook over fires.  Are we going to 
>actually make an effort to have and USE our purported 
>personas?  How many of you know who was Pope in your time 
>period?  How many know what the currrency of your perosna's 
>home country was?  How many smoke cigarettes at events?  How 
>many have hand-sewn seams?  My first garb had hand-sewn seams 
>only because I did not own a sewing machine.  None of mine has since.
>
>The SCA is not a living history group.  It cannot be when 
>persona from 1000 years' span all interact together.  I joined 
>the SCA to learn more about medieval history and culture and 
>to get an opportunity to play the role of a nobleman of the 
>middle ages.  I accomplished the first goal, the second 
>continues to elude me; it is a moving target.  I have heard 
>some speak of events of "enchanted ground" in which each 
>person stays in persona for the duration of the event.  It 
>sounds grand, but it too, is elusive and seems to exist, with 
>unicorns, in a nebulous realm just out of reach.
>
>I do not hold myself up as a paragon.  I am as guilty of 
>persona lapses and coleman chairs as any.  But wouldn't it be 
>lovely to come to an SCA event where you did not see a gaggle 
>of folks sitting in coleman chairs, drinking beer from a can, 
>smoking cigarettes and talking about XBOX or such like?  I 
>have gone on too long, as usual, but my point is that we are 
>perched on the edge of a slippery slope and, should we go over 
>the edge, it will be a very different SCA which goes on into 
>the 21st century.  And that may not be such a bad thing.
>
>Barkeep, a round for these good, patient people and give my 
>complements to the wench in the corner.
>
>I have the honor to be, by Their Majesties Grace,
>Werhener von Ingolstadt, Baron of the Court of Atlantia.
>