Nobility would sit for hours and hear their family trees recited, step by step, back to the days of myth. This recitation could include learned discourse on fine points of succession and tales of deeds done by generations past. Which royal line one chose depended on the fashion of the day. When Irish history was in vogue most hereditary Scots nobles could claim descent from some Irish king or other, according to their various Sennachies. When Irishry faded from fashion these same nobles would discover new blood ties to Scottish, English or even Danish royalty.
Genealogy gives legitimacy and respectability to the institution of nobility.
This has been carried over to the SCA, where there is an abiding interest in the history of the institution of the Crown or the Coronet. People recognize that the succession of Kings and Queens are landmarks in the history of the Kingdoms of the Society and the people who play the SCAdian game with royal leadership. As a result, there is an ongoing interest in these lists of names. Some Kingdoms institutionalize their royal genealogy, by reciting the names of every King and Queen gone before at each Coronation or Investiture. In the East Kingdom, advancement in the Eastrealm Bardic College requires that a candidate be able to recite from memory the complete royal genealogy of the East.