minstrel: Thoughts....?

[Mike Baker]

>    In a recent conversation an individual made the statement
> that he felt `book bardic' was dead and that `field bardic' was
> what was truly alive and all that held real meaning (at least for him).

An interesting, even curious, distinction.  One that I am rather extremely 
aware of with the work on my research paper. I for one do not believe that 
the two are wholly separate or separable, but realize that there is some 
explanation needed to prove my point.

> By `book bardic' (his term not mine) he means the following of
> the development of the art form and the synthesis of the same into
> a new idea and to explain in the written form through documentation and
> research.

I also include the historical research as to just what bards were and became 
under this category. As we uncover and synthesize all the many sources and 
resources, our understanding of that which came before shapes and re-shapes 
what we are and what we attempt as bards living in the modern world.

> By `field bardic' he means I believe the SCA folk tradition of
> visiting fires, wandering campfires, and performing in general.
> But I'd be interested in constructive comments on the issue and personal
> experience or feelings with no judgements or nasties.

Others have noted the cross-over region where the research turns into 
authentic reproductions of "period" works and new works composed in a 
"period" style. (There is a legendary account of a tale-teller in early-day 
Ansteorra who completely enthralled an audience with his tale of a bloodless 
battle between two hand-picked bands of champions, fought over a 
leather-covered inflated bladder. Style was so authentic in the presentation 
that some came away from the fireside never realizing they had just heard a 
recap of a recent pro football [American rules] game, until someone spilled 
the beans...)

> I ideally want to hand this back to him for his own reflection.  I want to
> help him out if I can.

Please do so. The more we learn together, the more we can teach -- and the 
better we are as people, much less bards.

> So think of it as a teaching and mentoring opportunity.

Certainly, and always.

We must include both study & performance if we are to be more than pale 
reflections of what was or can be. The claimant who states that "book" 
bardic is dead misses at least a portion of the point: without study and 
knowledge, we would not know that there were bards or how they were expected 
to perform, expected to travel among the people and not perform only before 
the high tables, expected to teach as well as entertain.

Kihe Blackeagle (the Dreamsinger Bard)  s.k.a. Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri 
al-Amra
     currently residing in Barony of the Steppes, Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mike C. Baker                      mbaker at rapp.com
Any opinions expressed are obviously my own unless explicitly stated 
otherwise! 

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