[MR] FW: Term Usage

[ldmolly at md.metrocast.net]

Well, personally, I find that the tale of the Loathly Lady from the Wife of Bath's Tale (Chaucer) is inspiring. There's a portion where she is rebuking the knight for his arrogance and unkindness towards her, and the list she provides of what constitutes gentility is humbling:

"Find him who is most virtuous alway, 
Alone or publicly, and most tries aye 
To do whatever noble deeds he can, 
And take him for the greatest gentleman."

"If nobleness were implanted naturally 
Within a certain lineage, down the line, 
In private and in public, I opine, 
The ways of gentleness they'd alway show 
And never fall to vice and conduct low."

"He is not gentle, be he duke or earl; 
For acting churlish makes a man a churl. 
Gentility is not just the renown 
Of ancestors who have some greatness shown, 
In which you have no portion of your own. "

http://web.archive.org/web/20020805122834/http://www.litrix.com/canterby/cante030.htm has a good modern English translation (for those who get nervous at the thought of Middle English, smile). 

And while creepy, the tale of Ulrich von Lichtenstein is also a good one (he cut off his own ear to keep from offending his lady...now THAT's commitment...creepy, but committed).

Molly(who's hoping no ears show up in her mailbox, smile)


On Mon 09/28/09 4:21 PM , "Geffrei Maudelyene" geffrei at triad.rr.com sent:

As they were the forerunners of our modern romance novels, I don't really
know them well enough to apply them in an SCA fighting setting. Do you get
extra points for being a knight in shining armor?

Geffrei