Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: 3 On Fealty
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 21:46:04

3 On Fealty
        We also see "purveyance," or the right of the Lord to ask hospitality 
of his vassal. In the SCA, this works both ways: the two parties can expect 
food and shelter, or at least help with it, from each other at an event. 
        "Scutage" is not much used in the SCA. This was a payment of money in 
lieu of military service, and used to hire mercenaries .... and could stand 
to be adopted within the SCA to add to a vassal's fighting force; to ask (not 
-require!-) the non-fighting Peerage to provide a substitute to fight in 
their place at a War would be quite period .... and very useful to add to a 
Kingdom's fighting strength. 
        A vassal can expect protection; the "justice" concept, if you will. 
Their Lord has the absolute obligation to defend them against anything that 
might harm them, and to see that they are treated fairly and chivalrously by 
others, and the vassal should return the obligation by standing with the Lord 
when he needs it. 
        The vassal can also expect their Lord to behave in an honorable 
manner towards them; to refrain from taking an unfair advantage, or "using" 
them to advance the Lord's own personal agenda .... and the Lord can expect 
the same from them.
        Do you see some of the qualities of behaviour that we name as
"chivalric" coming out here?
        There could be other conditions, such as the Lord giving the vassal 
"livery," i.e. a piece of garb that marks them as that Lord's vassal such as 
a surcoat or a House badge, or giving them armor to fight in .... whatever is 
acceptable to -both- parties concerned. 

        One can also swear multiple fealties, but you -must- specify your 
"fief ligium," your -primary- Lord. This is the Lord that takes precedence 
over other obligations, and such obligations must be considered -before- 
swearing an additional fealty oath. This was a common practice in period, and 
many times led to some rather sticky situations indeed; such multiple 
fealties should be considered most carefully, as it could land you between 
two (or more) loyalties and cause much heartache and problems for all 
concerned.
        Now let's look at another period form of fealty that is not quite so 
well-known: COMMUNIO JURATA. This is fealty that has been sworn by a group of 
people to themselves; a bonding together. This is what the Dark Horde is, and 
some of the other SCA "households" too. They are in fealty -with each other,- 
not with any titular head, and act together as a "corporate body," The three 
basic forms of fealty enumerated above can fit with varying degrees of ease 
within this. The KaKhan of the Dark Horde, for example, is a "primus inter 
paris" sort of figure; a "first among equals" as opposed to an absolute 
ruler. 
        I might add that the concept of an "absolute monarch" is blatantly 
out-of-period for the SCA. The SCA's monarchs are, in fact, "constitutional 
monarchies," being limited in their powers by Kingdom Law and Corpora. Some 
Kingdom's monarchs are more limited than others, however, and the usual 
saying about "anything you can get away with is legal" tends to apply .... 

        So what one of the parties breaks the contract? And what would be 
considered legitimate breaches? We have seen three things, at least, that 
would be obvious breaches of the fealty contract: 

    1) Failure to protect the vassal/Lord
    2) Refusal of justice to/from the vassal/Lord
    3) Dishonourable conduct towards the vassal/Lord

        And, of course, any specific clauses in the fealty oath that are 
broken or ignored (such as a Peer -not- teaching his Squire / Apprentice / 
Protege) would be considered good and sufficient reason for "de-fieing" the 
Lord and finding another. If one party violates the conditions set, then the 
contract is null.
                        (more)



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