From: Taftarus@aol.com
Message-Id: <6cda6579.36224065@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 13:46:13 EDT
To: lilyrose@mail.sjcsf.edu
Cc: minstrel@pbm.com
Mime-Version: 1.0
Subject: Re: minstrel: Bardic, Period, Etc.
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In a message dated 9/30/98 11:11:46 AM Central Daylight Time,
lilyrose@mail.sjcsf.edu writes:

> But it seems to me that competitions which are primarily
>  oriented towards documentation, *especially* bardic ones, are
>  skating on very thin ice WRT period.  And frankly, original music is
>  perhaps the MOST period choice a bard can make.  

Processing the mailbox, I ran across the above statement and 
felt that I should interject some additional commentary concerning
the "in-period" balance between original and standard performance
works.

Strongest possible emphasis: practices and attitudes varied wildly
over time and by geographical area. The troubadour / trouvere and 
related minnesinger / meistersinger cultures bore only the slightest 
resemblance to the earlier heydays of the "true" bard and Nordic 
variations of skald / scop.  The highest-ranked bards of those trained 
in the advanced schools of Britain or Eire were _required_ to memorize 
approximately 20,000 lines of poetry letter-perfect AND compose new 
material extemporaneously.  Any skald worthy of the name had a 
similar body of works he must needs be able to repeat upon demand 
and in some cases literally lived or died based upon his ability to 
compose "on the fly". 

(Mikal, help!  My brain has misplaced the correct terminology for
the life&death challenge-form you spoke of during the class a
couple of wInterKingdoms back...)

Title and recognition thereof depended upon the individual's ability
to perform, at the very least in an initial testing phase and in many 
cultures upon an on-going basis.  Access to power and / or protection 
could often rely upon achieving and maintaining such recognition.  
Under at least one set of bardic statutes, file (filidh) were guaranteed 
access to the ear of the King while common bards (who had not 
completed the full course of instruction / memorization) were quite 
specifically NOT.  The several Scottish regulations against bards 
(check the list archives for Eogan's summarization) did not extend 
to the era's / region's equivalent of the "titled bard", the senachie, 
while common hedge-bards were subject to branding "upon the cheek"
or forced servitude which sounds much like a chain-gang.  (Being placed
in harness like a horse or ox does not sound like MY idea of fun!) 

The point:  "documentation" in-period was in some times and places 
not optional, it was required in a very direct sense. No ability to 
document (i.e. ability to repeat standard works or use standard forms
on-demand) equaled no recognition as bard / skald. Denial of such 
recognition could literally mean one's life.

Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra, resident in Steppes, Ansteorra
(a.k.a. Kihe Blackeagle, the Dreamsinger Bard)
m.k.a. Mike C. Baker, Dallas TX USA

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