Duty & Privilege for Bards

[Mellitus7 at aol.com]

I've been lurking on this list for a few months now, and thought I'd toss in
a few cents with regards to this thread.
In a message dated 96-05-31 11:22:18 EDT, you write:

>
>mary k cummings wrote (in the bardic maillist):
>> I would like to throw out an opinion and get reactions, if you good
>> gentles would not mind.  (Yes, I have a bit of an ulterior motive,
>> but...  Don't we all?) :)   Hmmmm.....  Phrasing....   Hmmmmm...
>> A bard must satusfy both duty and privlidge within the bounds of
>> ability.  It is a privlidge to entertain.  It is a duty to acknowledge
>> the events of the day, both good and bad.
>
I agree that it is a privelege to entertain as bard, and as a addendum:  the
privelege of having your  friends enjoy (hopefully) what you are performing
is the greatest privelge of all.
I wholeheartedly agee with the duty as acknowledging the events of the day.
 A deacade ago, Calontir was ripe with "Legends" stories and some of the
important ans whimsical things that they did.  Now, the theme is for better
authenticity.  I personally favor and encourage anyone to be as authentic as
possible in any endeavor  within the Society, but I feel that we should not
sacrafice our history to "loftier goals".  I'd like the see the two less
mutually exclusive I guess.
>Privilege should only be accorded to bards worthy of the names and titles 
>they have been *given* (i.e. acknowledged by others).  Duty holds 
>requirements for every entertainer whether or not they aspire to the ranks 
>of the "true" bards.
>
Privielege can come from any number of sources.  Simply because a bard holds
rank within a guild or college or even from the Crown, does not modify the
basis of the original post.  True, regonition from the Crown or College
should be considered when speaking of Master Such and So or Her Ladyship
ThisnThat, BUT this does not exclude the privelege of styling oneself as bard
and enjoying the priveledge of entertaining folks.  So long as it's not
abused.

>What are the duties? What are the privileges?  These are questions as old as

>the peoples that acknowledge the station and importance of bards.

Entertaining is duty as well as a priveledge, and a bard has a duty to make
the best of use of avialable materials (filk,stories,authentic song,poetry,
etc) that he or she is able.  Consideration of the participants in a circle
and the desrires of  the circle as "community" is part of that duty
(selection of appropriate material) another duty is remember and comment on
the SCA around them.  By this, I mean to pass on our histiry, customs, and
ideals.  I do not imply (or condone) personal slams as part of a piece,  it
detracts from the "higher ideals" thing.
>I have available a scholarly-style paper on the subject, currently under 
>revision to include literary proofs of female bards within the historical 
>timeframe covered by the SCA (or pre-dating it a few centuries).  I spend 
>the better part of forty pages of manuscript in examination, seeking to 
>define bards by observation and usage, by comparison to other entertainers 
>and by perusal of research materials. (I will announce availability of the 
>revised text when it is completed.)
>
I would be most interested in reading your paper.  The bardic arts were the
first thing I "did" in the SCA a decade ago, and they are very near and dear
to me.

>And with all this, I still quoted myself when it came time to define the 
>duties of a bard.  Understand, I had written out a description for use as a 
>"starter" in the preliminary of trying to work with a student at 
>long-distance, via electronic BBS.  It was a simple manner to reshape that 
>electronic message and include it as an appendix to the larger work.  BUT: 
>the summary of duties I repeated in that way was essentially similar to the 
>pledges made when I accepted a name.
>
>To some extent, privilege is not essential to the bardic existence.  Duty is

>first, last, and ever foremost.  Privileges define where and how the bard 
>interacts with his or her current community, and reinforce the role of bard 
>as one who should "walk between" separate communities.  There are certain 
>rights that, when accorded to an individual bard, may appear at first to be 
>privilege.  They are in fact more an acknowledgement by the particular 
>society of the worth of bards in their midst as a general class than any 
>honor for a singular person.
>
I agree with your thoughts on duty, but I still feel there is a lot to be
said about the priveledge thing.  We are priviledge to be in this Society and
Bards within it.  Whether we be laurels,grants,AOA's,or newbies, we must
acknowledge this priveledge and (I feel) revel in it.  I think this
priveledge goes beyond any rank or award a person may hold.  Perhaps a
priveledge of our particiular Society?

>Duty and Privilege: not so much what a bard thinks about as what a bard _IS_

Very nice!

>. . .
You've made some good points, and I respect those opinions with which I
disagree (and I think that's too strong a word).  Perhaps one day, we'll
share a circle.

HL Mellitus of Rouncivale,
Calon Lily
Calontir Bardic College File
Olde Pharte at 28