Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 11:28:18 -0600 (MDT)
From: Lily Rose <lilyrose@mail.sjcsf.edu>
To: Greg Lindahl <lindahl@pbm.com>
Cc: minstrel@pbm.com
Subject: Re: minstrel: Bardic, Period, Etc.
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On Wed, 30 Sep 1998, Greg Lindahl wrote:

I wrote:
> > How about a nice:
> >  -- bear baiting

> I've seen a nice bear baiting.  It was done similarly to how we do
> wars, i.e. it sacrificed authenticity in order to be safe and fun.  We
> had people with costumes as dogs and the bear. We handed out (fresh)
> vegetables for the audience to throw. If we wanted to be authentic,
> the veggies should have been rotten. A good time was had by all.

I've seen a nice trained bear, done quite similarly.  Point was, we aren't
always authentic.  This is the "Middle Ages as it should-have-been."

> > But it seems to me that competitions which are primarily
> > oriented towards documentation, *especially* bardic ones, are
> > skating on very thin ice WRT period.
> 
> Who ever said that they weren't? In fact, I only know of a couple of
> times and places where "bardic competitions" were held, so perhaps we
> have too many of them.

Perhaps we do.  But if you were judging by the traffic on this list, you
might indeed think that competitions are the primary venue for bardic. 

> >  And frankly, original music is
> > perhaps the MOST period choice a bard can make.  
> 
> Perhaps. But original music in an authentic style, theme, etc. is
> definitely more period of a choice than original music in a 20th
> century style, theme, etc.

Sure it is.  I have no problem with that.  But everyone has to begin
somewhere, and for some of us, overcoming stage fright is the first step.
I'm not gonna do research until I know whether I like the results -- I
didn't do extensive costume research until I found out that I like to sew.

> > Documentation and research papers belong firmly on the fringes. 
> 
> I just hope documentation is not being discouraged anywhere.

I doubt that it is.  Should documentation take priority over
entertainment?  Which gets sacrificed when they come into conflict?  

Do you prefer to hear an occasional OOP piece, or would you rather have
all the potential bards too intimidated to try?  I've seen both, and I
prefer to hear fifteen rousing choruses of the "Moose" song, thanks. 

--
Lady Viviana Rowe			lilyrose@mail.sjcsf.edu
Barony of al-Barran, Kingdom of the Outlands

Excelsior!
 

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