Rules Lawyer

[ermenrich]

“Anyone may attend Society events provided he or she wears an attempt at pre-17th century clothing, conforms to the provisions in Corpora, and complies with any other requirements (such as site fees or waivers) which may be imposed. At business meetings and informal classes, the requirement to wear pre-17th century dress may be waived. All

Comments

[turnberryknkn]

I agree with you entirely about failing to make an attempt at non-modern clothing. And I agree that you're right that a strictly literal interpretation of corpora would disallow anything prior to 1600. However, there are large constituencies within the SCA responsible for the bleed of acceptability out towards 1650 -- including ones I am deeply involved in.

For example, by the literal interpretation of corpora, it would be exceedingly difficult to do English Country Dancing. There are references to that style of dancing as far back as 1400, and it almost without question was being done on Dec. 31st, 1599. But no surviving significant compilations of English music or steps predating Playford's The English Country Dancing Master of 1651. We infer -- and I think it's a very reasonable inference -- that what Playford finally published in 1651 probably has far older roots, but we don't have any other sources to *prove* it systematically. A strictly enforced 1600 limit would effectively eliminate the documentary support for something like 50% of what we in the SCA dance and dance music community do.

On the dance floor, if Playford is considered acceptable, then it's hard among us dancers to argue that, for example, garb contemperanous to the documentary source itself is somehow unacceptable, which now brings in the garb of his Cavaliers and the very beginning of the Age of Piracy. And if people are allowed to dress like that on the dance floor, it gets hard to stop them from doing so *off* of it....

That's one big reason why the 1650 number keeps getting thrown around, when corpora pretty clearly spells out otherwise. A strictly enforced 1600 limit would frankly be crippling to the game as we dancers play it, and I'm sure there are other major groups within the SCA which play in that grey zone as well. So much of the SCA, for better or for worse (and you can probably guess I'm in the "better" camp) argues for this grey zone of acceptability out to 1650.

[ermenrich]

I agree with you that yes, some sources may be out of period. We do the same for names. But copora does not mention names OR dancing in the rule. Just costuming. So wear 8th Century clothing and tango if you want. According to copora you are OK. (I think)