[Artemisia] Kingdom Traditions (Long)

[Mary Hodges]

snippety snip
Gefjon wrote:
> 
> You're right in thinking that Courts at Uprising can be long, and I agree
> that many awards at an event such as that could be given elsewhere.  I still
> think that many of them should be announced in court, though.  At an event
> where things are spread large distances apart it's impossible to know what's
> happening in various different areas.  Court is the one place where people
> with many different interests are gathered, and so is a good opportunity to
> let everyone know the results of the various competitions.  (archery,
> equestrian, rapier, armored combat, arts & sciences, etc.)  
> 
> Gefjon

The following remarks apply to large events, especially those held 
out-of-doors.

I don't remember who brought up the idea of a presentation court, but 
it's a good idea.  That way, necessary attention is paid to stuff that 
needs to be witnessed by the populace, and those who want to see prize 
giving are also served.  Of course, having a presentation court as well 
as regular court means some people will have another court to organize 
and sit.

The idea of recognizing people for participating in an activity seems 
very odd for a living history group.  One goes to events in order to 
participate in a group experience of activities outside of mundane life, 
not to receive rewards for showing up.  In other words, being at the 
event in one's period clothing and engaging in activities that would 
have been done by people in period is the point of living history. 
Being there at the event and doing what people did in another time and 
place is the reward.

The reading out of names of participants in activities in court is 
decidedly non-period, unless one was either conspicuously heroic or 
conspicuously dreadful.  I can't imagine the herald at a medieval court 
reading out the names of the king's minstrels, for instance, unless the 
king wanted them apprehended for some reason.

I am,
your obedient servant,
Jehane