From: bhw@aifh.ed.ac.uk (Barbara H. Webb)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Fighting in crown: a thought
Date: 21 Dec 92 11:46:54 GMT
Reply-To: bhw@aisb.ed.ac.uk (Barbara H. Webb)
Organization: Dept AI, Edinburgh University, Scotland

Greetings to you all, or those few of you still in the vicinity of the
Rialto in this festive period. 

I had a thought the other day which I would be interested to hear
comments on. It relates to a suggestion made, some time ago, by a wise
gentle whose name escapes me, re crown tourneys. This was that the
simplest way to open up the possibility of becoming Sovereigns to
non-fighting couples would be to allow entrants to crown lists to fight
as the champion of such a couple. I.e. rather than being inspired by
their consort, they are inspired by the nobility/wisdom whatever of this
couple and wish to put them on the throne. 

While I think this is a fine idea (though no doubt, like all forms of
selecting sovereigns, it has some drawbacks and loopholes) I can see
it's unlikely to be implemented in the near future without major
upheaval. The thought that occured to me was that I can see a situation 
which might sow the seeds for such a change.

You see, although most of my activity in the society (like calligraphy,
dance, etc.) is done as Caitlin, I also occasionally fight (very badly
but that's not so important to this "hypothetical"), and when I fight, I do
so as a male persona, Padraigh, because it would pull the persona of
Caitlin (late 15th century, living quietly in Northern England)
completely out of shape were she to don armour and take to the field.
Now I intend to improve my fighting, and aspire to enter Crown
tourney at some time in the future. But who do I fight for? As I'm
biologically female, according to Copora I must have a male consort.
Even given the faint chance that I find a male willing to have a female
persona so that things "look" right, if I was to win, I'd rather hold
the Crown as Caitlin, who has far more experience in the society to draw
upon (and a much better choice of feast garb), and Caitlin would want a
lord, not a man dressed as a lady, by her side.

In other words, were I to enter, it would be as Padraigh fighting to put
Caitlin and her consort on the throne. 

So my questions to the folk here: do you think this would be permitted
under current rules? (I can't see any fair way to deny Padraigh entry to
Crown tourney, eg. by insisting I fight as Caitlin (which I wouldn't
do), but maybe if I fight as Padraigh I have to rule as Padraigh (but
then, do I have to have a (male) consort with a female persona or could we
have two "males" on the throne?))
Do you think fighting as Padraigh for Caitlin and consort would be the thin
end of the wedge for allowing other fighters to fight for another
couple? (or do the current rules allow it in the above situation only?)
Has this situation ever occured so far, i.e. has a female fighter with a
male persona entered a Crown or Coronet tourney, and how did they handle
the question of their consort?

Hope there's someone else out there working over Christmas who can offer
some answers to distract me from my thesis.

Yours in curiosity,

Caitlin/Padraigh de Courcy