Writings on the Wind, the Un-written Yasa of the Great Dark Horde, as told by Dur the Nasty.

These are some of the stories and sayings from the Dim Ages of the SCA as I have been able to capture them. Enjoy.

Now, there is also the interesting development of what I've come to call SCA Tribalism.

The Nine Tails.

A banner or standard is something to rally to, to assemble under. It is a symbol incarnate for this purpose. Is a flag a nation, or is the symbol of a nation?

Symbols are abstract, and by themselves are nothing more than objects. They take the meaning of that which each individual assigns to them, not by an arbitrary declaration, but rather from the soul of those who cherish them.

Beware the fallacy of prideful symbols and flags; they carry no meaning to those outside the keepers of the icons, and have nothing inherent that attracts by themselves.

An assemblage of like-minded people that welcomes like-minded people is the foundation of a nation. Cliques by their very definition are never destined to become nations.

Right Custom, wrong audience.

ya yammant!

Visivald makes his comments about the oft-misunderstood Great Dark Horde, and I just had to chuckle...

The custom of breaking arrows when an agreement is reached is a sign of peace amongst the steppe peoples, but that is probably lost on most of the arrow-breakers of Pennsic. Once, the Khan of the GDH had to say to the Oriental Envoy, "In the custom of your people, take this message to your king!" when an arrow was broken. But that is probably too esoteric a story...

Then, let me relate to you the story of the Oriental Herald of the Crown, who entered the Khan's camp with a firebrand in one hand, and a bared sword in the other, presumably on a mission of "peaceful gesture." (His lady quickly intervened with an offering of bread and salt, and so the peace was preserved.) Is this the usual custom and manner of the Crowns of the Known Worlde send messages of peace and offers of allegiance to each other? ma azzunnish!

I tell you of the envoy of the Khan sent to inform and instruct a king on the meanings of bread and salt.

There are stories of kings who said, "Of course the Horde will fight for me, they are my loyal subjects!" ma azzunnish! Of promises made and broke by crowns, and finally made good years later. Of joint treaties between crowns that promised "the lands of Pennsic" in perpetuity that are all but forgotten.

No, this is not an appeal to tradition. It is only a reminder that those who fail to heed the lessons of history have no excuse to fall back on.

The Three Peers...

Once there was a beautiful land where there lived three Peers. All was sweetness and light.

One day, a flaw appeared, and caused great consternation among the Peers.

The First Peer launched himself bodily at the flaw, and sought to subdue it alone by all the power at his command...

The Second Peer drew themself up to the greatest height they could attain, and loudly proclaimed the existence of the flaw, so that all might be warned of its presence and it's deleterious effect on the sweetness and light of the land before it came unto them, and that all should know that it was the undoing of the peace the land enjoyed, and that someone should do something to restore the land to it's former pristine state, for surely this flaw would pervert the aims and goals of the greater good, and we will all suffer thereby, until it has been purged from our fair land, never to be seen again, but we should look upon it to know the face of the undoer of all that is fair and lovely, etc. etc. etc. ...

The Third Peer gathered the people of the land, heard their fears, sought their counsel, built a consensus among them, and with them strove to overcome the flaw and its effects on the fair land.

(And they all lived happily ever after?)

Second Thoughts (Eating my own words, and finding they need salt.

>><< I think Dur should be on the Board. :)
>>
>>
>>        Me too, but they'd never
survive. :-)
>>
>>
>

Ahlan wa sahlan!

Ummm.... Thanks for the compliment Did any one see which hand that came from?

Seriously, I have thought about it. Then, I considered WHY I was thinking about it. Each time, I thought better of it, and did not offer my neck for the block. (If I had given such careful consideration to other things in life, I might have never done anything!)

Let me explain it thusly: A while back I told the story of the Three Peers, which is a story of my life (and that of others.) When I was a brash youth, I would assail the dragons of life with all the vigor I could muster. Alone. A member of the BOD cannot act alone.

Later, after failing to overcome the dragons of life, I tried to cajole and inspire and encourage others to take up the standard and fight with all the eloquence I could muster. Alone. A member of the BOD cannot speak alone.

Now, in the autumn of years, my only hope to overcome the dragon is with guile and the aid of others. Now I would build bridges that I prematurely burned as youth, and seek to re-knit bonds of friendship and respect that were allowed to weaken from lack of use. Alone. A member of the BOD cannot exist on enemies alone.

Please excuse the twist on the light-hearted jest, but it is a serious topic.

Authentic vs. right (how to get away with murder)

To quote Cariadoc, "This is how we do it in our village." Looking back over several years, there has been a development of our own approximations of dance and garb, as well as music. Some we take from what we can find, and some from others. This is the nature of the beast.

In the SCA you can find the "Cabaret" tribe, the "FCBD" Tribe, and assorted others. People will associate with those who are doing the same thing as them (strength and security in numbers, of course.) (Morocco told a story once; she was asked "What tribe do you belong to?" The response was "ben beserkly!")

I have watched many copy their teachers, and that has caused concern for at least one "teacher", as she didn't want to mislead anyone. My suggestion was to let people know the extent of her knowledge, and let them know that they should also find and share things with others when they found them. In this way, the example would serve to encourage others to continue the work (making it easier for all of us.)

That being said, let me twist this a bit; I am a PURIST. Not a "Stuffy" Purist (I hope) or a "Dance/Drum/Music Snob" (I hope), but one who tries to create a place where I can distill the essence of the culture I like and share it with others. That is the Purist I want to be, not an "Enforcer" but an "Encourager" of enjoyment in what we are doing (if it's not fun, why do it?) It's an Orluk Oasis theme.

Rights, Responsibilities, Duties, and Expectations

>that's a positive step for recovering Midrealmers conditioned to sit in

>court like ceramic gnomes in a garden.
>

I love that image! (all the terracotta people!)

If it were me, I would stress the "example" aspect of the expectations established by these ceremonies. If specific rights and privileges are conferred, they should list the responsibilities to be fulfilled to keep these same privileges (and as you noted in your idea about including the phone fee in a belt, those privileges are pretty moot after all.)

That is why I separate expectations from responsibilities. I can tell you what I expect of you without charging you with a responsibility. Lets face it, only officers have authority and responsibilities, and unless you can make an award recipient an "officer of the court," your requirements are without necessary license.

Now, you could set that tone. However, then that opens the need for removal from office all that fail to discharge the responsibilities of the office.

In a like discussion on the middle-bridge, I have been putting forward the concept of "examples and expectations" for all awards, rather than the "duties and responsibilities" for the same. Unless we have a clear cut definition of what it takes to receive an award and give it to all who meet this standard, then we fail to establish the equality of any award. However, if we simply use the test of "desirable examples" then we are divorced from any rules that could be used to objectively determine who gets what awards.

If this sounds a little high handed, just remember that I am STILL the peerless wonder from days of thud and blunder! I miss the days when I could point to any white belt and say to the newbie, "THAT is a KNIGHT. DO what he DOES." You know, from experience, that things are different now, sad to say.

The Greatest Shame is a Guilty Conscience

Well, Morganna. Your stories are always of wit and color, bringing forward many remembrances of other times and peoples.

Because you are so good with this embroidery, I would give to you a stark story of but one color so that you might work some magick upon it...

A noble lady and her band were stranded in a winter storm some distance from the festival hall. When her call for aid was conveyed to the master of the hall, a search was started for someone to brave the storm and effect a rescue.

A caravan master at this hall responded as all brothers of Islam must to such calls for aid. (The truth of this tale is longer in the telling, but more important to its meaning. A lackey of the caravan master put his name forward when the first calls for aid were sounded. Others in the hall took this to be the pledge of aid, and began to loudly claim, "The caravan master would save the lady!" The sly caravaner, knowing that a refusal in the face of such acclaim would be a smirch upon honor not soon forgotten or forgiven, assented to do the deed. Yet, his mood and heart were blackened foully by this impressment.)

The rescue was affected, and the lady and her party were safe within the hall. (The caravan master was so incensed at the presumption of his good will that he drove his camel train with reckless abandon, and did hazard his charges in the process.)

Delivery of the noble lady to the hall was not the end of this adventure. The master of the caravan was prevailed upon again to provide passage for the lady and her band unto their domain, many days travel away from his own destination. "A foul curse upon fickle Dame Fortune!" he uttered within his heart. Still, he loaded them upon the camels of his train and bore them to where they would be.

Two full turnings of the moon would pass...and still his heart bore this blot of resentment for the service rendered.

(The sword of irony cuts only those that forge it.) Before all gathered at yet another feast day, the noble lady did loudly proclaim "the good service rendered" by the caravan master was a right and noble deed. This completely baffled the fellow, and left him without a tongue for many hours.

This tale has no pretty end, for it is a lesson of hard learning; Each day, this caravaner tries to wash a secret blemish from his heart, in that aid given grudgingly was openly honored without let or hindrance.

I recount this tale at his request, and offer you a quote: Be worthy of your rewards, for more often the reward exceeds the value of what it is received for.

Sing the praises of others

When praising others, the compliment is usually returned in kind (and is appreciated by most.) When praising one's self, the appreciative audience is often singular.

A braggart sings a solo ode to himself. (DANGER! Double meaning!)

Don't impress me; I'll be impressed.

The loudest drum is the emptiest. (DANGER! Triple Meaning!)

Nobody notices the deed done right. Instead, they talk up the little mistakes.

"Any Khan or King is not measured by his rule(s)... but by how he is remembered."

Narrowing the Scope of the SCA

So, Anda, you consider now the conflict between the acts of and the trappings of the assorted peoples we meet. A crown does not make a man regal, nor does rags make him a beggar. Was it not the command of Harun al-Rashid to his son, that to be a leader, he must "look into men’s hearts?" Kindness, charity, and nobility come from within a man, not from his regalia.

One perspective is that the body of the SCA is spread over the spectrum from two extremes: Those who view the purpose of the SCA to be a moral foundation (with several noble virtues to be emulated by the membership), and the others who commit only to the outward trappings of "the game we play." Most lay somewhere between these two points (and have to listen to the shouting from the endpoints.)

For those who wish to build moral character, other fraternities abound, as well as for those who only wish to "role-play," there are also organizations who expect little more of their members. However, if these endpoints depart, then new endpoints will be defined (left of the middle, right of the middle, and the muddle of the middle...)

Part of the BOD call is for a "reformation" of the structure of the SCA. Would this change or eliminate the endpoints? Maybe, and yet before this can occur, new endpoints would need be defined. What will the scope of the SCA become? Reduce the time period? Reduce the geographical scope? Redefine the administration and decentralize the existing system? Relocate it? Debase the existing awards (rewards) and replace them with new ones?

Eventually, the structure of the administration will mutate (as it has done for years), so that is not the prime issue to consider. Sometimes evolution is forced (al la the Mandamus action,) sometimes it comes of realized need. It has been hypothesized that if the official structure of the SCA were to cease to exist, the members would carry on without it (inertia is a wonderful thing!) It can be said that those who cling to structure are those best served by it, like most (un) civil servants, those addicted to the dole, and most bureaucrats.

Furthermore, even without awards or titles, we would still know who was naughty and nice (a seasonal metaphor, but I digress.) Titles and regalia should never be an excuse for tolerating reprehensible behaviors (like putting up with the Royal brat!) However, the top "ranks" of the SCA could use a serious dose of salts, or at least an attitude enema (to eliminate some of the effluvia that has collected therein, perhaps.) The opinion that "I have this title and that makes me right" is often the undoing of the esteem due the title (as an icon or guidon of virtues.) When the members of these institutions begin to govern and police their own rank and file, perhaps the issue will be resolved (at this time, most only recommend admission of prospective candidates.)

The lamentations of those who gafiate are as effective as their current efforts, If you are unwilling to help get things done, then you should not expect your complaints to have any more effect than your ministrations (shouting at the dead horse has the same effect as with a deaf one.) Resting on your laurels soon fouls the nest, and none will draw nigh to such an offensive place (save those with strong stomachs.)

You might say this is a plea for a proactive Society, and you would be right in your guess. (I regret that I have drawn away and not been as proactive as I suggest, but you can only take so much for so long and then you need to breathe.) Writing suggestions is only the first step (like membership, you have to buy the ticket to win the lottery,) your actions on behalf of your desires is just as important (letters to the editor can only go so far.)

Building Character of the Society

 
>I have
an intriguing question for you....
>
>Is there any ONE
achievement that would say classify as applicable to
>specific
recognition by ALL THREE PEERAGES as inherent to each as well
>as
to the others for recognition for possible advancement to same?
For
>example:  What
could I do in armor on the field that would say-
>contribute to
BOTH the recognized aspects of the Arts/Sciences peerages
>as well
as the Pelicanate.
>

"Nobleness of character," and "embodiment of trust." The more you are given, the more there is expected of you.

To further explain my point:

Character Flaws

Nobility is not aristocratic. Aside from the recognition if achievement, all awards bear with their rights an implicit obligation; that to be a noble, you must be noble.

Deep in the heart of all is the credo that draws us together, to be honorable, chivalrous and courteous. These are not the exclusive privilege of one class, but rather the right of all to enjoy and enhance by personal contribution, however small or infrequent.

Gentles, nobles and peers are all entitled to rally around these essential ideals. Though each member is as different as the leaves of a tree, they share the same root. From this common seed, and the nurturing of all, blossoms the flower of our society.

The Foundation of Our Pillars

Chivalry, honor and courtesy are often cited as the pillars of our society. Yet, without an immutable foundation, these same pillars are subject to topple before the ill wind of disrepute. The base of all the pillars rest upon TRUST.

TRUST is the strongest of element of pathological reasoning, even stronger than hate or love. The TRUST of a child in its parent, or of a people for their leader is such a powerful motivating force that has been known to overcome seemingly impossible feats.

Yet, TRUST is like steel; for all its strength it is also brittle and fragile. Once broken, it can never be mended fully. Even the wisest of men will dismiss pure logic of a man's cause when he has broken TRUST with them.

At the cap of these pillars is the lintel of RESPECT, which carries the weight of expectations, the hopes and aspirations of our society. From time to time, we see other pillars added to the structure, such as fidelity, charity, zeal, and others. Each new pillar adds strength to the structure, and enables it to carry even more expectations. Finally, love is the cement that bonds the structure into a unified mass that will stand against the severest storm that might assail us.

Trust

A simple, one syllable word, and yet, it carries the entire weight of faith, hope, and confidence through all phases of our lives. Once shattered, like porcelain, its strength can never be fully restored.

It is often said that chivalry, honor, and courtesy are the pillars of our temple. However, without the foundation of trust, the temple will collapse like a house of cards. We know the chivalrous will defend the weak; likewise we expect the honorable to fulfill their promises. We believe the courteous will act decorously, all because we have trust in them.

Of the three Aristolean persuasive modes, trust is of the pathos or emotional appeal to reason. Even amongst men of great rational thought, the appeal to logic fails in the face of distrust. For lesser men, such as we, this is no less true. When one recently confronted me with the query, "Have I ever publicly lied?", I could not refute the point. However, had they asked "Do you trust me?", no answer for that question would have been kind and still had any truth to it.

So, Anda, I say to you--be trustworthy, and the other virtues will follow of their own accord.

Too Many Awards

Gwydion (Rogue-turned-Philosopher?)
writes:
>
><< Very well, can you tell me what
they are "elevated" too, or over for that
> matter.  Without physical differences being
apparent, there should come
> some authority (and attendant
responsibility) with being "elevated" or "set
> over
others."  Would you have some
examples to consider? >>
>
>First off, I would
state that I merely repeat the terminology I have
heard
>heretofore. 
However, I'm willing to take a stab at a folk etymology.  Any
>award or order which
bestows a precedence in the OP (at least at my peon
>level) is
upwardly mobile, and therefore an "elevation".  This explanation,
of
>course, becomes shaky the moment you have someone who holds a
higher
>precedence receiving a lower award; or do peers no longer
receive Purple
>Frets, for instance?  How about a Pelican receiving a Silver Oak or
Willow?
>

Well, since Moonwulf just received such an award (and he has nearly everything else by this point,) which way does he move in the OP? (Moonwulf is an old friend of mine, and I'm abusing that privilege.) Up? Down? Sideways? Backwards (his best fighting style)?

Do you consult the OP to determine who is more correct in a disputation? Is the OP anything more than a register of who got what when?

An example of how mutable an OP can be, the tin hat I have has been ranked from below AOA in one kingdom to near-peer in another. With another $2.65 I can get a cup of coffee at the airport. What I can't buy is respect.

I would offer another story to perhaps illustrate the point:

The Great Caliph (may Allah be pleased with him) would often put on a disguise to travel amongst his people. Once he came upon two women sitting together and crying the mourning tears.

He asked one of the women the cause of her grief, and she replied, "My son, who has been taken by the sunderer of societies, was such a good son. He carried me wherever I wished to go, and would fetch me rosewater and oranges on hot days."

On hearing this, the Caliph gave to her a donkey, saying, "May this gift ease your loss."

He then turned to the second women and asked her why she wept. She responded, "Before the destroyer of delights visited upon him, my son was also a good man. He offered hospitality to any who came to his gate, great and small. He aided the Tabibs (doctors) in the visiting and healing of the sick and injured. He endowed schools and mosques, and gave generously to the poor."

On hearing this, the Caliph's breast was narrowed, and great sadness was his visage. "Dear mother" said he, "there is no gift I could give that could equal the value of your loss."

(In memory of nur al-Hakiim jafar al-saffa)

A New Creed for a New Breed

My thoughts on Encouragement, not Enforcement:

If people are doing something good (right, correct, etc.), then notice and praise them (read: Positive Reinforcement.) If, on the other hand there is something incorrect (and I'm not always sure what correct is, so this is a good way to handle that), don't give praise (and don't jump on them with both feet either, unless they are a danger to life and limb!)

Be open to answering questions. Remember that "I don't know" is a valid answer where it applies, and no loss of respect will occur. (On the other hand, bluffing your way around an issue is sure to get you in trouble when the facts contradicting you come out!)

Be curious and ask questions. There are many funny stories of people just copying someone else, and then finding out that there was no historical basis for what they copied (some things we just make up as we go along, and it is real embarrassing when you find out that you copied someone trying to copy you! It has happened to me!)

Most of all, take things at face value (please don't assume that it is an insult or a slight. Sometimes things don't come out right the first way, and you can ask if you understand the comment by giving some feedback.) Jumping to conclusions covers a very short lateral distance, but it is often off a precipice! (My broken body can be found at the foot of that cliff far too often!)

Leadership

Anda,

You have come to me asking what it is you must do to be a leader of the khanate. First I will tell you that no act of any man can confer unto you the article of leadership, any more than the silly king who declares a camel to be a horse so that it will be easier to ride. Although these titles and honorifics can be names attached to leaders, only a fool will believe that the mere holding of horse tail will make him as strong and fleet as a mare or stallion.

Commands are not the language of leaders, for although the fool demands the winds to lift him aloft, he does not fly. Nor is strength or prowess, for any man who may best another in battle, one beset by many is soon pulled down. Guile and cunning may permit you to have your way by out-foxing one opponent, but others take note and distrust your motives in future acts.

Instead, look to the geese as they fly. The leader makes the way easier for others to follow. The lead mare in the herd breaks the trail through the snow so the others may have an easier passage through the drifts. Such it is with the leaders of men, preparing the way for others.

Commitment

(Note that this is my opinion of the level of commitment I expect from others, and I hope I can live up to that expectation myself. Some have feet of clay, and I'm sure that I'm clay right up to the eyebrows.)

There are at least two measures of commitment easy to observe among the participants at SCA events. One is membership (the paid kind), and the other is how they observe the rules and customs common to the majority of the membership. There is an appropriate household motto that fits well: Semper Facit Decorum (Always do the "right" or socially acceptable thing.)

A membership card is but one indication of "intent to participate." (Excuse me, but you may not know who I am. That's why I carry my Sacred Cows Association card. Membership has its privileges.) It is a minimal indicator in any event, and a level of commitment that anyone can accomplish.

The commitment to obeying the rules and behaving according to custom is one that requires some effort on the part of the individual. The rules and customs of the SCA are far from difficult to observe, so why do we still grant allowance to those who should know better (i.e. those who have had enough time to learn the few rules and customs universal to the Society?) For the uninitiated, there is an office of Chatelaine that should see that all new folks have a Friendly Native Guide (FNG) for the first few days so that transgressions can be held to a minimum. A minor service that one can do at Pennsic is being the FNG for the Pennsic first-timers in your camp.

I hold that participation is not a right, but a privilege. I would reserve the privileges for those who demonstrate a level of commitment, and deny it to those who don't.

On the same note, Pennsic is a privilege, and rule breakers should not attend (or if they do, and willfully break rules, they should be sent home.)

And your little dog too!

Not so very long ago, someone claimed the sobriquet of "a Founder of AEthelmearc". (In order for something to be found, it must be lost. Does that mean that all non-Founders are, therefore, Losers of AEthelmearc?) Out here in the AEthelmearc Annex the non-Founders are wondering if the second-class citizen status also applies to non-Founders of the original city-states of AEthelmearc.

Partnership in adventure ensures continued interest by all parties concerned. If the Founders are unwilling to share the ownership with the non-Founders, then they have no basis for complaint when others show less enthusiasm for the cause. Founders will have even less chance at motivating non-owners by goading or bullying them.

Allow me to illustrate my point with a small story (from Writings on the Wind, the Unwritten Yasa of the Great Dark Horde, by Dur T. Nasty)...

Once, met I a man who said, "I am Aahs". To this my response was to praise "the fine day that we both were enjoying". The man seemed taken aback by this, and so drew himself most erect and intoned, "I am the Great Aaazzz...." My response to this was that he must have "the broadest view of the horizons of any in our exclusive company".

He gaped. His shocked expression then darkened to a raging tempest. He bedecked himself with great regalia, leapt to the top of the nearest prominence (which was mine own back), and thundered, "I AM THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE A-A-A-Z-Z-Z!! FEAR THIS!!" For my part, I offered that the tokens that he bore "must have come at a very great price for the honor to wear them." Then, as I set off down the road with him still standing upon my shoulders, I advised him that "we would part company should he chose a destination other than mine own, as well as a pace other than my own". I invited him to walk beside me on the journey, "as we will certainly arrive there much faster if one need not stop to rest more often from the burden of the other."

You see, if we will not treat all as peers of the realm, there will be no Realm for the Peers.

Special People

Why bother calling them rules at all? Just call them "guidelines" and expect people to follow them. Well, not all the people, just those that aren't "special." Yes, that's it! We need to eliminate rules and create guidelines for all the non-special people to follow, cause they'll do that without us asking them to, right?

Enough of the sarcasm!

The bottom line is, survive. There are no rules in the game of life, just temporary truces between competitors. Why is it that "Special People" create all sorts of rules to apply to our (mutual fantasy of the) Known Worlde, and then defy those strictures that provide (mutual) protection in the real world?

Of course, what do we do with people who violate the laws mundanely? Depends on if you're "special" or not (can you say G. Gordon Liddy, O.J Simpson, Mike Tyson, or Rodney King?)

Bending rules always breaks them. Stupid rules are caused by stupid people. Aiding the natural selection process, while attractive in certain cases, is against the rules (someone could decide YOU are a candidate for the process, and then where would you be?) Sure it's not "fair", but at least it is equal. The choice of non-attendance is always open to you if you don't like the rules, the fees, the weather, etc. Pennsic is a privilege, not a right.

For me, children are the "special people" (including those of a child-like disposition), and they need even more care and supervision, and stability in rules than non-special people.

The Wine of Wisdom

In the land of the Romans, a story is told of the fox that strived and failed to reach the grapes high in the arbor, and finding them unreachable, pronounced that they were likely to be sour. But that is not this story...

When the rain is plentiful, the weather mild and kind, the harvest of the vine is plentiful, but vintners will tell you that these fruits make the poorest wines. Only those years of hardship and suffering will yield the best of wines.

Once, Dhujha was entertained by a Nazarene who plied him with wine, and though forbidden by the dietary laws, Dhujha yielded to the custom of the guest and partook. When he finally took leave of his host, having already taken leave of his senses, he was arrested while stumbling through the town. The guard brought him before the qadiz with an impressive list of transgressions, including reciting the Holy Book to a herd of donkeys. The judge demanded that he account for his actions, whereupon Dhujha claimed that the wine had armed him with wisdom and he had acted according to the will of the Almighty and All-Knowing. “Certainly converting donkeys is easier than convincing the qadiz that one is innocent!” he exclaimed.

So it is with life and the wine of wisdom, for experience gained in toil and struggle provide the body and bitter-sweet to our understanding, while days of ease and luxury leave the memory without dimension and gauge for judgement.

Updated 20050831