[SCA-BMDL] A Piece of SCAHistory

[Krista Cogan]

The following is a letter published in the Mar/Apr 1975 issue
of the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands’ local newsletter, The Althing.  It was written in response to the Barony’s
request to form a principality.  I
thought it would be of interest to us. ~Hilda


 

To the People of the Barony March of the Debatable Lands
Greetings

                At Our
recent Curia we were asked to give in writing Our opinions on the subject of
Principality status for your Barony. 
They are as follows.

                To the
best of Our knowledge, you do not currently meet the population requirements
for a principality, but We have no doubt that you soon will; That is not a
serious difficulty.  There are, however,
baronies in both the East and Middle Kingdoms which have for years fulfilled
that requirement, yet neither they nor the Crown have seen any good reason to
convert them into principalities.  Indeed
there exist no principalities in either kingdom.  Existing principalities in Atenveldt and the
West are either groups of baronies intending to become kingdoms (Caid and An
Tir) or the central areas of their respective kingdoms (Principality of
Atenveldt, Principality of the Mists).

                The
primary argument We have heard for Principality status is that the Barony March
runs its own affairs and neither is not intends to be directed from the center
of the kingdom.  That is true.  It is true of all Our baronies.  One of the distinctive features of the East
Kingdom, to which We think its prosperity in large part due, is a feudal rather
than a centralist structure.  Kingdom
officers maintain common standards in a few essential areas, such as safety
rules and heraldry (which standards, in all kingdoms, apply as much to
principality as barony) and otherwise provide communication among the
baronies.  It has been so in the past, We
expect it to continue so.  If you wish
further guarantees, you might choose to follow the example of Our barony of
Carolingia, which has but recently negotiated with the Crown a charter, in
which are stated the ancient rights of that barony.

                In sum,
we see no reason why the Barony Marche, as it now exists, should be a
principality.

                One
thing more.  There are at present
individuals and groups scattered through (at least) western New York and West
Virginia.  If some develop, perhaps with
your assistance, into substantial groups, and if they wish to unite with you
into a principality comprising the western part of Our kingdom, either as a
permanent arrangement or with the intent of becoming in time a separate
kingdom, that would be entirely appropriate.

                We have
read the above to Our Tannist, who states that he is in essential agreement
with it.

                                                                                                Cariadoc,
Rex Orientalis

 		 	   		  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.andrew.cmu.edu/pipermail/sca-bmdl/attachments/20110131/9644ddb5/attachment.html