[MR] Fw: Re: Teachers, shields and history

[Cecelia Hughes]

Someday I'll remember which list posts to the list and which one posts only to the sender...
 
Graidhne

Cecelia Hughes 
Fredericksburg, VA 22405  
hughescecelia @ yahoo.com 


Dwell in possibility. 
-- Emily Dickinson

--- On Sat, 1/17/09, Cecelia Hughes <hughescecelia at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Cecelia Hughes <hughescecelia at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [MR] Teachers, shields and history
To: "Vivian V. Morgan" <vivianvaz at lairhaven.com>
Date: Saturday, January 17, 2009, 9:55 PM







Her public speaking piece should be an explanation of what heraldry actually was.  Don't oppose the teacher; educate her.  Include a bibliography of heraldic resources as a hand-out at the end of the class.  Haul in the most period shield she can lay her hands on, complete with dents from battle, as a visual aid.  Do the venting at home.
 
Lodges?  Smokeholes?  Is she confusing the High Middle Ages with Swahili shields made of zebra skin or Iriquois wickiups?  Was world history never a requirement in her degree work?
 
Graidhne
Affronted Teacher, who does not want that one representing the field of education...

Cecelia Hughes 
Fredericksburg, VA 22405  
hughescecelia @ yahoo.com 


Dwell in possibility. 
-- Emily Dickinson

--- On Sat, 1/17/09, Vivian V. Morgan <vivianvaz at lairhaven.com> wrote:

From: Vivian V. Morgan <vivianvaz at lairhaven.com>
Subject: [MR] Teachers, shields and history
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
Date: Saturday, January 17, 2009, 3:53 PM

Please bear with me as I vent a wee bit here, which will involve a longish
quote.  My lovely Lady Magdalena LaRosa has returned to school (and doing well,
I might add).  This semester, she is taking Public Speaking.  One of her first
assignments, interestingly enough, is to create a personal coat of arms to
represent herself to the class.  Here's the fun part.  Below is a quote
directly from the assignment.  No lie.  Here goes:

	"In ages past, every person possessed a Coat of Arms of one kind or
another.  One of the important points to understand about these shields is that
they were never intended to give physical protection in battle.  Their purpose
was not to turn away arrows or bullets or for people to hide behind.  Usually
they were too thin or fragile for this use."

She goes on:
	"On the shields were symbols representing clan signs of the men who
carried them.  These signs told who the man was, what he sought to be, and what
his loves, fears, and dreams were.  Men carried these shields in order that
anyone they met might know them.  Even when they rested in their lodges, their
shields were always kept outside where all could see them.  They might be hung
up by the lodge door or the smoke hole, but they were always kept outside where
people might see and learn from them."

Feel free to respond directly to me or to the list if you want an open
discussion.  I would love to hear questions, comments, or opinions.  She showed
this to me several days ago and I've been having hives ever since.  I have
had no one yet to vent to except her and, patient as she is, I don't want to
wear her out on this.  I mean, isn't an important part of public speaking to
"check your facts?"  Can she really believe someone would lug a big
piece of wood into battle just to show people a picture?  I can't imagine
why she would think anyone would carry something they couldn't block or kill
with.  Magdalena really wanted to oppose the teacher on this one but, as she had
already disagreed with her vehemently on a previous point, she didn't want
to push.  After all, it was the first class and she doesn't know, yet, if
she is dealing with a vindictive personality.

Thank you for letting me share and thank you in advance for any commentary you
may have.

In Service,
  Lady Yenega de Santurce
  CaerMear, Atlantia

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