[MR] Fw: Egyptian Personas in the SCA

[Arthur Donadio]

One of the reasons that the docs do not give a specific beginning date is that scholars can and do debate the centuries that the Middle Ages should include.  But the broadest acceptable definition would start from the so-called fall of the Western Roman Empire.  Gross simplification alert:  In other words, a period in Western Europe that looked back to Rome until the advent of the humanists, reformation, etc. heralded the birth of the modern Western world.  Clearly Spain before, during and after the Reconquista is included in our study (although little recreated in my experience).  I would be interested to see what a remaking of El Cid (one of my favorites) would do to boost Castillian, Aragonese, and Navarrese persona research.  In the Atlantian climate, Spanish garb and armor choices would seem worthy of deeper exploration.  When I said Fatimid persona, I was thinking more to the East and completely forgot about about Spain and Italy.  
 
I am really not trying to rain on anyone's parade, but dillution of our game is an issue that always needs to be considered.  Some years ago, a gentlewoman who was organizing Tempore Atlantia (A&S competition with specific time ranges that occurs at kingdom level events) wanted to advertise the competition as covering the years 1450-1650.  I told her no.  She argued that a lot of our folks researched garb and accoutrements that pushed out to 1650 and she did not want to exclude them.  But 1600 is the line - that is where the game ends.  Some people like powdered wigs and tricorns; there are groups for that.  Some people like to be on the wrong side of history - there is a healthy Civ War community in the South for that. 
 
The inquiry about Egyptian culture clearly referenced 4th century or earlier.  That is not us.  If the intent is to trace the influence of Egyptian trade, goods, medicine etc. as one part of a paper that winds up teaching us about how Western Europeans got cotton, then I am certainly interested.  That did not come across clearly at first and so generated the discussion that has proceeded.  I am not attacking Rohesia or you, Altan and I support research that enriches what we do.  
 
As for the suggestion that no one has the authority to deal with people playing baseball in our football game; that is clearly wrong.  Years ago we effectively got rid of elves, ninjas, and vampires - or at least drove them underground so I don't have to see and deal with them (which is the same thing).  

Arthur
 
known in the SCA as Cuan.

Arthur


 
> Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2011 07:35:45 -0700
> From: jsmithcsa at yahoo.com
> To: Atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
> Subject: [MR] Fw: Egyptian Personas in the SCA
> 
> Hi there,
> 
> 
> Agreed.  I dislike the argument as well.  I was in it for several years at the 
> Grand Council (where it was not resolved and during which, IIRC, the BoD refused 
> to take it up) and it will not be resolved by any/all of us chatting on the 
> Merry Rose.
> 
> My feeling is, if the lady wants to be an Egyptian, the GovDocs don't 
> stop her, and I don't believe anyone else has the authority.
> 
> Barcsi Janos
> (whose son portrays a citizen of Trebizond, and who has seen Africans, dozens of 
> Japanese, scores of Romans and even one "cave girl" at SCA events and 
> corresponded with an SCA Tibetian.)
>  
> JEFFREY C. SMITH 
>  
> "The only way Congress can give one American a dollar is to first take it from 
> another American. Therefore, an entitlement is a congressionally given right for 
> one American to live at the expense of another." -- Economist Walter E. Williams
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Terri Morgan <online2much at cox.net>
> > But that is by custom, not rule.  The Governing Documents
> 
> *sigh* 
> 
> and another round of "what's our time period?"...
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