[SCA] oaths

[cellio]

Coronation is coming up soon. In this kingdom, it's customary for the peerage orders to be called into court (each order separately), and for a spokesman of the order to acknowledge the new king and queen and promise to uphold the laws of the kingdom and keep doing the things that peers do. Sometimes this goes well and sometimes the spokesman says things on behalf of the order that not all order members agreed to. I've begun agitating for a fixed text from within the order.

So anyway, today the incoming king and queen sent email to the peers about ceremonial stuff, including an innocent mention of the orders swearing their oaths of service. This has caused some... discussion... on the pelican list. (The pelican is the peerage for service; among things, we have a high concentration of rules wonks.) The laurel list (arts), so far, has been silent. I cannot speak to the chivalry, as I'm not a member.

After some of us said "um, not quite", one of our newer members asked "why such animosity that you don't want to swear an oath of service?". Well, there are a couple issues, but at least for me, they have nothing to do with animosity. I have nothing against the incoming royalty. These are purely matters of principle -- but important, strongly-held principle.

First and foremost: the word "oath" (or "swear", which to me implies "oath"). I do not swear oaths to people. An oath is a grave matter involving God; this is not a matter for participation in a hobby, no matter how much I enjoy that hobby. I don't even "swear" when being seated on a jury; I'm sure not going to do it in the SCA. I don't care whether my persona would have (though I think she wouldn't); my persona must always be limited by what I, real-world me, am permitted. The SCA is not play-acting in the way that a theatre production is; while we take on personae, we are also still us. We are not merely portraying characters.

So I won't "swear", but I will "promise" or "affirm". If my word is not good enough unless accompanied by the word "oath", then there is a deeper problem. But I don't think that's the case -- within the SCA, I think my word as a peer and as an honorable person is good enough, so why require extra stringency?

(There is a secondary matter of just what we are promising to do. Some people make vague oaths "to serve the kingdom", without defining the parameters. That's bad, and a lie -- we all have concerns that would trump the SCA. I will not say that lie, and I don't like being asked to ascent when someone else says that lie. Yes, we all know what is really meant, but words are important. As peers and presumably role models, we should strive to say what we mean and mean what we say.)

It's gotten to the point where I hesitate to go up when the order is called, because I'm not sure what the spokesman is going to say and I might not want to be seen to be bound by it. And sometimes the spokesman has the clue but the king and queen don't, so they'll say something like "we'll hear your oath now" and the spokesman doesn't correct them becuase that's seen as rude. Oh well; more often than not I don't even make it to Coronation anyway. (This time, for example, it is being held on Erev Pesach.) If I were going, I would just try to get that spokesman role for myself. But maybe, by having this discussion, we've raised just a little bit of awareness, and maybe it will still be there the next time this comes up.

Comments

[alfiechat.livejournal.com]

I always thought that only the chivalry had to swear fealty. I never understood why the other orders were called in to do so. I always thought that members of the Laurel and Pelican would swear oaths privately if they so chose. Thanks for the post, it's an interesting topic.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

I like the East's custom, where the Crowns sit in state most of the afternoon between courts, accepting gifts, oaths/promises/affirmations, and congratulations. This means that I can selectively happen not to queue up to swear fealty to Crowns I don't much like. I think the last Crowns who had mass oaths were Brion and Anna (and they caught flak for Foreign Customs for it, too). And I don't have to sit through hours of Shire of Very Small Place presenting the Crowns with six napkins and a bottle of beer, either.

[yorkshirelad.livejournal.com]

You a Goddess among women. The issue of oaths and the SCA has come up quite often between melanisuzanne and I. She(and others) don't understand why I have such issues with swearing an oath or even kneeling in court. You have said it better then I ever could.

My issues also center around the oath involving God. Or in my case Gods as I am a Norse Re-constructionist(ie Norse Pagan). When I swear an oath it has repercussions WAAAAAAAAAAAY beyond the SCA. I won't bore people with the whole Wyrd thing.

But suffice to say oaths and paying homage in the SCA make playing VERY difficult for me. Thank you for putting into words what I have not been able to.

[dragontdc.livejournal.com]

In Meridies, the martial Peerage has recognized that some people are prevented by their beliefs from swearing oaths of fealty. The rank of Master of Arms is equivalent to that of Knight, and is indicated by a white baldric instead of belt.

[asim.livejournal.com]

Very thought-provoking, thanks.

It would be a bit of a persona thing, for me, as SCA Royality more-or-less is a Franji (European) court, and there's little change of a good subject of the Sultan swearing fealty to them! However, it does not preculde me for offering services, just as the reverse occurred. In fact, I was reading DOMENICO'S ISTANBUL last night; Domenico was the 3rd Court Physician to Murad III in period, and Jewish, but served with distinction and honor.
I admire your principles, and suspect that a large part of the issue is that "oath" means very little in our Society. Internally, I have few of those, and none currently in the Society that are acknowledged as such. To me, though, "oath" is something you do, not just say when the time is right, and I've turned down lovely chances to do things because I would not make that level of commitment that the word "oath" implies.
However, to many people, it’s just not that important, it's "part of the game". Which makes me wonder if I want to be that high up in The System.

Not a lot of help, I know. But thank you, anyway, for the chance to mutter….

[lyev.livejournal.com]

I don't care whether my persona would have (though I think she wouldn't); my persona must always be limited by what I, real-world me, am permitted. The SCA is not play-acting in the way that a theatre production is; while we take on personae, we are also still us. We are not merely portraying characters.

Thanks for putting some of this in better terms than I ever could. Lots of things to mull over.

[dvarin.livejournal.com]

I think part of what's going on here is the use of the term "oath" in the more generic sense of a solemn promise, no? If the text of it contains neither reference to God nor the word "swear", would you still refuse it because it was inaccurately labelled an oath?

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Atlantia doesn't do mass fealties at coronations except for (a) the Kingdom GOOfS (Great Officers Of State), and (b) the Propertied White Trash (landed baronage). Just as well, as I'd have a tough time going up myself.

In fact, there was some difficulty at my peerage ceremony b/c I wished to pledge service, not swear fealty -- as an incoming Corporate Officer at the time, I did not feel that I was allowed to be in fealty to any single Crown. At some point I should probably talk to His Grace about that.