[Artemisia] Heckling Court Tradition - was Respect and Court

[Dame Rachel (Thaya Shaeffer)]

Lady Constance wrote:
One court "tradition" I would personally like to see eliminated has cropped 
up in recent years in all manners of courts. It is totally unrealistic to any 
period we recreate and often downright rude. I am referring to the habit of some "audience" members of speaking up from the audience. 
 

Dame Rachel reply:

You are absolutely right here, and I have done this myself from time to time.  While I do have a learning disorder which does cause me to speak out loud when I am intensely concentrating or very excited, I have gotten a bit lazy about controlling it at times.  Although I do not personally do this often, I have done it from time to time.  I hereby challenge one and all to STOP heckling court.  Lady Constance is correct, is not historically accurate, and it can be down right rude as not everyone assembled is in on the jokes.  I would particularly like to see the off colored attempted humor stopped.  Bawdy jokes are for the camp fire or other informal settings. And those which are making mundane innuendoes are right out.

 

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. 

Shalom,

Dame Rachel



SCA:  Dame Rachel Ravenlock, OP 
Legal: Mrs. Thaya G. Shaeffer 
Kingdom of Artemisia, Barony of Arn Hold 
(208) 322-3444 before 9:00pm MST please! 
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