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This note is just an observation, not a critique! And it's striking to me that I can see differences even within our principality.
In some shires, everyone knows you by your Society name; in some shires, everyone knows you by your legal name, but uses your Society name at events; in still others, everyone knows you by your legal name, and struggles to remember your Society name. Some Society names are 'sticky' (they stick with you!) and others...never take off.
Sometimes when you become friends outside the Society, you start to use your friends' modern name, especially in a mixed setting (you know, when you have non-SCA friends over! happens even in the best families).
Anyway: I've been amused this reign to find that some people struggle to identify award recipients (mainly those who aren't there, whose honours are read into court), and the reception of the news is very muted...til someone says, 'Oh, you mean X!', X being their legal name.
Furrowed brows clear, smiles all round. 'Oh, yes, she's excellent value! absolutely deserving! good choice,' etc etc.
This happened twice at Dance Moot, as we read in awards for people who have moved away, but who we preferred to honour than leave unmentioned - besides, we had nice scrolls to give. :-) There was polite reception to the announcements, til I chatted to folk after court, and could describe the recipients more, and pennies dropped all round.
In fact, sometimes even a name doesn't help.
Robert followed up one of the recipients post-event (Lord Godfrey, who is apparently now in East Anglia - renowned as a hurdy-gurdy player, which is how I remember him at a past Raglan)...who is better known in Harplestane by his legal name.
Anyway, having contacted him to arrange for his scroll delivery, Robert said, 'oh, now I know who he is! He's the one who was carrying Torrkil's shield at Raglan!'
Sometimes it's not your name, it's your harness and place in the line that matters.
In some shires, everyone knows you by your Society name; in some shires, everyone knows you by your legal name, but uses your Society name at events; in still others, everyone knows you by your legal name, and struggles to remember your Society name. Some Society names are 'sticky' (they stick with you!) and others...never take off.
Sometimes when you become friends outside the Society, you start to use your friends' modern name, especially in a mixed setting (you know, when you have non-SCA friends over! happens even in the best families).
Anyway: I've been amused this reign to find that some people struggle to identify award recipients (mainly those who aren't there, whose honours are read into court), and the reception of the news is very muted...til someone says, 'Oh, you mean X!', X being their legal name.
Furrowed brows clear, smiles all round. 'Oh, yes, she's excellent value! absolutely deserving! good choice,' etc etc.
This happened twice at Dance Moot, as we read in awards for people who have moved away, but who we preferred to honour than leave unmentioned - besides, we had nice scrolls to give. :-) There was polite reception to the announcements, til I chatted to folk after court, and could describe the recipients more, and pennies dropped all round.
In fact, sometimes even a name doesn't help.
Robert followed up one of the recipients post-event (Lord Godfrey, who is apparently now in East Anglia - renowned as a hurdy-gurdy player, which is how I remember him at a past Raglan)...who is better known in Harplestane by his legal name.
Anyway, having contacted him to arrange for his scroll delivery, Robert said, 'oh, now I know who he is! He's the one who was carrying Torrkil's shield at Raglan!'
Sometimes it's not your name, it's your harness and place in the line that matters.
