[MR] "most Chivalrous"

[Melanie Weymark]

Your Grace you bring up quite an interesting question and one that I am sure could and will have hundreds of different answers.

I can only give my own insight on the matter, so please don't think I speak for my Laurel or my house on this matter.

Personally, I believe when looking to a list one judging for this particular category can only judge on the appearance of what we call chivalry, honor, knightly behavior.  As an ex-fighter I know only too well how others (spectators) might think they know "that shot was good" when the one in the steal hat knows better.  That in and of itself makes it hard to judge this off the field and in my opinion removes the actual fight from judgment.  I believe what the judge should be looking for is not actually chivalrous behavior in battle but more the displays that add to our society, such as paying honor to ones Lady in such a manner as to make the other Ladies watching smile just a little bit more, or two equals meeting on the field and after a long fight, leaving one inevitably the loser, embracing as friends, Paying due respect to the Crown of Atlantia and the Baron and Baroness of the land on which they fight, perhaps a fighter calling a hold when they
 notice their opponent's knee arm has come loose.  

These sorts of things for me only add to our game and while many fighters believe that SCA fighting is a sport and has nothing to do with the Lady watching from the side lines...or the crowd around them, its man vs man and nothing else matters, these little things truly bring to me the feeling of honor and chivalry and each time I see such an instant moment of truly "knightly behavior" I am allowed to slip a little further into the life and let the real world slip away.

Just my 2 cents.

Lady Caterine St. Loe
Chateaux Ferneaux