[Artemisia] Heckling Court Tradition - was Respect and Court

[Trischia Wadey]

Dame Rachel said:
>Another RUDE practice, which has become so commen it is almost a tradition, 
>is calling out loud corrections to mispronunciations of SCA names or 
>titles.  As long as we all know to whom the Herald or other speaker is 
>referring, why publicly embarrass someone by pointing out their mistake?.  
>All this does is take up time, embarrass the speaker, and point out to 
>everyone that a mistake was made (which not everyone would have known if it 
>had simply been let pass).  For example calling up Mistress Bee as Lady Bee 
>or Earl Fritz as Count Fritz.  So what, she is still a Lady in both senses 
>of the word, and he is still being accorded his rank.  If you are truly 
>well intentioned wanting to help the speaker, take them aside privately 
>later so they will know for next time.  Don't heckle court.  Bottom line, 
>if we all treat court more formally, it will regain much of its lost 
>pageantry.

Thank you, Dame Rachel!
As a wise man who looked surprisingly like Master Niccolo once told me...
The Herald is the Voice of The Crown (or Coronet, or whatever throne he/she 
speaks for).  The words he/she speaks from behind the thrones are to be 
taken as though said by those sitting upon them... and you wouldn't _dare_ 
to publicly correct or mock your Sovereign, would you (rhetorical question 
perhaps, since I have actually heard it done in SCA courts)?  In fact, when 
once (while serving as his herald) I mis-pronounced a name, and was 
corrected/mocked by the populace, he firmly informed those assembled that if 
I had said it that way, it must be so, as it had come from the Throne, and 
he would bear no interference with that.
Speaking from years of experience, heralding is a tough job, and one that 
not very many of us are willing to do.  If you want to do the talking in 
court, and think that you could do a perfect (or even remarkably better) 
job, by all means offer yourself up as a herald.  I have seen a few 
potentially good heralds scared off by the embarrassment of being publicly 
corrected or reprimanded, when they were only trying their best.  
Pronouncing names and scroll texts, sometimes complicated and/or in foreign 
languages, while knowing that dozens and often even hundreds of people are 
looking at you, can be nerve-wracking.  Yet there are those who are willing 
to endure the downside of heralding (along with the numerous upsides) in 
order that the rest of the populace might enjoy the theatre of Court.  
Honest mistakes happen.  We are doing our best.  Cut us some slack.

Aeschine

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