[MR] FW: A Question of Protocol

[Derrick Solomon]

forwarded by request

-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Levin [mailto:clevin at ripco.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 10:19 AM
To: Derrick Solomon
Subject: Re: [MR] A Question of Protocol

O Senhor Logan:

> while there seems to be no hard and fast rules to it this is my take:
> 
> crowns:
> bow to when passing or when passed by
> 
> heirs:
> same as crowns
> 
> landed baronage:
> only in their barony
> 
> royal thrones:
> slight bow when passing

I've never really liked that custom; ISTR that when William Tell
was asked to do that, all kinds of nastiness happened. I will bow
to a person to show respect for them & for their office, but not
to an empty chair or a crown or chapeau d'etat while it's not
being worn. Think of it as one would a mundane courtroom-we rise
for the entrance or departure of the judge, who is the
representative of the state or the country. We do not do anything
before the judge's seat while it is empty.

> i think there is a difference between bowing to show deference and the
> simple head bow (as a sign of respect).  i do the former for my
> king/queen and prince/princess or a baron/baroness (if im in the lands
> they hold for the crown).  the rest is a simple courtesy gesture. 
> 
> and after years of thinking i knew protocol i ran into a twist this
past
> weekend regarding toasting at feast.  until saturday night my
experience
> has always been that the highest (by op) ranking peer in attendance
> offer a toast to their majesties, the next ranking peer toasted their
> highnesses (if applicable) and then the next would offer the toast to
> the hosting baron/baroness.  well, this weekend TE of the hosting
barony
> opened the toasting by toasting their majesties.  as quests of honor
at
> high table this seemed wrong to me (not bad, just not right) and it
was
> completely different then every feast i have been to in the past.

In one sense, I can see where the idea of the B&B doing this
would come from: as the people who directly hold the lands from
the throne, they are showing respect for their liege. I already
have a lot on my plate, or I'd say that I'd go through different
Arthurian/Carolingian feast scenes to get an idea of what went
on.

> somewhere in between all of our ideas is the right one.

Too right! Not only are we looking at the sweep of the Middle
Ages & the Renaissance, but also all of the customs that we of
the SCA have developed. It's already been more than a generation
since our founding, after all...

Pedro