[MR] Egyptian Personas in the SCA

[Terri Morgan]

> "Generally, the SCA covers the period  600 to 1600." 

> But that is by custom, not rule.  The Governing Documents

>  only state "pre-17th century" and give no starting date.

> Barcsi Janos

 

*sigh* 

and another round of "what's our time period?"...

 

Look, I'm grumpy enough to be really plain in my writing tonight, so I
apologise in advance for not wrapping this up in extreme courtesy and all
that.

 

The opening paragraph, the thesis if you will, of Corpora states:

"The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. (SCA, Society) is a nonprofit
educational organization devoted to

study of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Most of its activities take place
in the context of a social structure

adapted from the forms of the European Middle Ages, which allows
participants to take a first-hand look at

various aspects of the life, culture and technology of the times under
study." [emphasis mine]

 

I don't give a hairy eyeball if you want to play some persona earlier than
that, or from some country that the Europeans had barely heard of, but THIS
game, this SCA,  is about "the Middle Ages and Renaissance" as pertaining to
Europe. And that is what I choose to play. Encouraging others to play
outside of those defined lines may make a person feel cutting edge, or happy
to thumb their noses at the status quo, or some other emotion - but it does
a dis-service to the people who will be left as round pegs in a square hole
once they start being involved in their local groups.

 

Or as Viscount Edward once wrote in the Pennsic Site book, "Please don't try
to play baseball in our football game."

 

It isn't *bad*, but it also isn't the game we are claiming to play.

 

 

Hrothny

(If you're feeling like you need to blast me, please write to online2much
@cox.net. Know that I will read your email although I may answer late or
sporadically. It won't change anything written in Corpora, but I understand
that pushing the envelope is a constant need for many of our members and
anyone who says, "Whoa, charley!" has to be shouted at. May I suggest,
should you feel that urge, that you also volunteer to be on the slate of BoD
members where you can work to change our rules into something more fitting
your views.)