Home Page

Stefan's Florilegium

p-toasting-msg



This document is also available in: text or RTF formats.

p-toasting-msg – 4/30/06

 

Toasting customs in period. References.

 

NOTE: See also the files: taverns-msg, beer-msg, mead-msg, wine-msg, mazers-msg, p-tableware-msg, bev-distilled-msg, lea-bottles-msg, p-bottles-msg.

 

************************************************************************

NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

 

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

   Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                         Stefan at florilegium.org

************************************************************************

 

From: "Dennis O'Connor" <dmoc at primenet.com>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Did they "toast" in the Middle Ages?

Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2000 07:40:18 -0700

Organization: Frontier GlobalCenter Inc.

 

"Cynthia Virtue" <cvirtue at thibault.org> wrote ...

> The discussion on 'things the SCA does which are thought to be medieval'

> has got me thinking of another area: at all the large feasts I've been

> to, someone (usually the ranking person(s) who are not Royal) toasts the

> Crown, the Heirs, and the cooks and autocrat.  Did they do this in

> medieval times, at feasts?

 

I recall that Hamlet's mother Queen Gertred drinks a toast to him during the

fatal duel at the end of the play, and thereby is poisoned and dies.

 

Also, a quick Web search found  http://weddingspecialistswny.com/info/info24.html:

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What about the origin of "toasting"? As drink goes, wine has always been central to the wedding, even mentioned in the Bible. The first recorded toast was given at a Saxony feast in 450A.D. by a woman who became a bride herself before the end of the evening.  British King Vortigern was so moved by the sentiment-- a simple "Lord King, be of health," offered by Rowena, daughter of the Saxony leader Hengist, that he proceeded to make passionate love to her. Intoxicated by the drink, possible love and definitely greed, he then bargained with Hengist for her hand.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<

 

And at http://www.eglin.af.mil/protocol/tainment/toasts.htm :

 

>>>>>>>>>>

Toasting originated with the English custom of flavoring wine with a piece of browned and spiced toast. In 1709, Sir Richard Steels wrote of a lady whose name was supposed to flavor a wine like spiced toast.

<<<<<<<<<

--

Dennis O'Connor            dmoc at primenet.com

 

 

From: gunnora at my-deja.com

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Did they "toast" in the Middle Ages?

Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2000 15:40:41 GMT

 

Cynthia Virtue <cvirtue at thibault.org> wrote ...

> to, someone (usually the ranking person(s) who are not Royal)

> toasts the Crown, the Heirs, and the cooks and autocrat.  Did they

> do this in medieval times, at feasts?

 

A related custom is the Germanic symbel or sumbel, practiced by the

Saxons and by the Vikings.

 

The Vikings offered up toasts, or Fulls. The first full was assigned to

”Ýinn, and was made for victory and the king's success. Snorri

Sturleson gives Earl SigurÝr's first toast at a festival at HlaÝir in

952 as an example. Freyr and NjorÝr were the recipients of the second

toast, which was for peace and plentiful harvests. The third toast was

often made to Bragi, god of poetry. After this, men might make the

Minni, a toast to those of their kinsmen who had become famous.

 

At weddings, the toasts offered might be slightly different: the story

of Herraud and Bosi recounts that the cup was consecrated to Þ—rr

(Thorr). The first toast was made to all the gods, the next toast to

”Ýinninn, and the third to the goddess Freyja.

 

These rounds of toasting were a part of the custom of Sumbel (Old

Norse) or Symbel (Old English), both meaning "ale-gathering." Toasts

might be combined with vows or oaths, boasts, storytelling and song.

Tacitus wrote in his Germania of the custom of sumbel, saying "Drinking

bouts lasting all day and all night are not considered in any way

disgraceful." More than one sumbel is encountered in Beowulf, and in

Old Norse poetry such as "Lokāsennā," where Loki is told:

 

         "Seats and places for thee at sumbel

         The Aesir never choose

         Because the Aesir know which wights

         To have at a glorious drinking-feast."

 

Sumbel is even mentioned in Christian poetry such as "The Dream of the

Rood," where it is told that "There are God's folk seated at symbel."

The term "symbel-daeg" came to be used in Old English to denote a

Christian feast day.

 

The sumbel was a joint activity. Those participating came and sat

together, usually within a chieftain's hall. It was often referred to

as a drinking feast, where ale, beer or mead might be served in a

ceremonial cup, and passed from hand to hand around the hall. The

recipient of the cup made a toast, oath, or boast, or he might sing a

song or recite a story before drinking and passing the cup along. While

referred to as a "feast," the sumbel did not include food, but might

precede or follow a meal. A sumbel was solemn in the sense of having

deep significance and importance to the participants, but was not a

grim or dour ceremony - indeed, at Hrothgar's sumbel in

Beowulf, "...there was laughter of the men, noise sounded, the words

were winsome."

 

::GUNNORA::

 

 

From: nostrand at acm.org (Barbara Nostrand)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Did they "toast" in the Middle Ages?

Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2000 21:37:29 -0400

Organization: deMoivre Institute

 

> I recall that Hamlet's mother Queen Gertred drinks a toast to him during the

> ]fatal duel at the end of the play, and thereby is poisoned and dies.

 

This is not technically a toast. It is offering a cup of wine to Hamlet

which is something rather different. Possibly a closer analogy would be

libations to gods offered by many religions. Roman libations were

performed by pouring a bit wine upon the ground. (Or at least so I have

read.) The use of wine for ritual purposes was quite common in the

Mediteranian about 2000 years ago and forms the basis of discussions

concerning ritual wind found both in early Jewish legal works and in

Christian scriptures. Traditional Jewish l'chaim are offered in honour

of specific individuals.

 

Supposeably in Japan there was a sake ceremony which involved ritually

sharing a dish of sake with the participants taking turns pouring.

However, this was not in the manner of a toast.

 

                                   Your Humble Servant

                                   Solveig Throndardottir

                                   Amateur Scholar

 

 

From: "Dennis O'Connor" <dmoc at primenet.com>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Did they "toast" in the Middle Ages?

Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2000 23:32:22 -0700

Organization: Frontier GlobalCenter Inc.

 

"Barbara Nostrand" <nostrand at acm.org> wrote ...

> > I recall that Hamlet's mother Queen Gertred drinks a toast to him during the

> > ]fatal duel at the end of the play, and thereby is poisoned and dies.

>

> This is not technically a toast. It is offering a cup of wine to Hamlet

> which is something rather different.

 

Well, I checked the text, and I found during the duel:

==================

KING CLAUDIUS:

The king shall drink to Hamlet's better breath;

 

[...]

 

KING CLAUDIUS

Stay; give me drink. Hamlet, this pearl is thine;

Here's to thy health.

 

[...]

 

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows;

The queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet.

 

HAMLET Good madam!

 

KING CLAUDIUS     Gertrude, do not drink.

 

QUEEN GERTRUDE I will, my lord; I pray you, pardon me.

=================

 

Each of these seems a toast to Hamlet; is there perhaps

an idiomatic  meaning to "offering a cup of wine to Hamlet"

that makes it a more apropos description ?

--

Dennis O'Connor            dmoc at primenet.com

Vanity Web Page:  http://www.primenet.com/~dmoc/

 

 

Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2005 18:22:35 -0400

From: "Elise Fleming" <alysk at ix.netcom.com>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re: A Question of Serving

To: "sca-cooks at ansteorra.org" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Margaret FitzWilliam wrote:

> In this specific case I ended up coordinating the toasts, but only

> because I got proactive about it.

> So how do other people/places handle it?

 

This part caught my eye... Interkingdom anthropology?  Around here the

responsibility for coordinating the toasts (to the Royalty) usually sits

with the Royalty's chamberlain (if any Royalty are at the event) to either

ask the ranking Peers or to find a local person (usually a Peer) to

coordinate the toasts.  If the Royalty aren't present, it often is the

event steward who searches for someone to coordinate and find the highest

ranking folk.  You should get thanks for being that proactive!  Toasts are

funny things - a lot of folk don't want to do them, but it's part of what

makes a medieval feeling.  Out of curiosity, have there been difficulties

at feasts where no toasts are offered because no one organized them?

 

As a Laurel, Pelican and now Countess, I'm often the "target" for event

stewards to organize toasts when I'm staying for feast.  "Alys, you know

protocol. Would you arrange for the toasts, please?"  <g> I now often

decide to stay for feast so there's a handy target in case the local folk

need someone!  And, oh brother!  Trying to find the "rankest" persons can

be... challenging!

 

Alys Katharine

 

Elise Fleming

alysk at ix.netcom.com

 

 

Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2005 18:34:59 -0700 (PDT)

From: Aurelia Rufinia <aureliarufinia at yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: A Question of Serving

To: alysk at ix.netcom.com, Cooks within the SCA

        <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Margaret FitzWilliam wrote:

> In this specific case I ended up coordinating the

> toasts, but only because I got proactive about it.

> So how do other people/places handle it?

 

Yep, Margaret, Alys is right... or at least, *I* was

told that the chamberlain of the ranking royalty

there is supposed to handle it.  (I usually would

figure out the ranking peers down to the third, and

then declare myself bored with it and grab a random

someone. It was fun.)

 

What happens when there's no Royalty present?  No idea.

 

Aurelia

 

Baroness Aurelia Rufinia

Barony of Carolingia,

East Kingdom, Northshield Ex-Pat

 

 

Date: Sun, 03 Jul 2005 22:12:04 -0400

From: Robin <rcmann4 at earthlink.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: A Question of Serving

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Aurelia Rufinia wrote:

> What happens when there's no Royalty present?   No idea.

 

I asked someone that at my vigil.  The senior peers present compare

notes and figure out who has the most time-in-grade.  Or something like

that. It's not a problem I've run into yet.  To be the senior peer at

an event, I'd have to be the *only* peer at the event.  (Unless I'm

considered "senior" to the lady who was elevated 10 minutes after I

was.)       :-)

--

Brighid ni Chiarain, OL

Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom

Robin Carroll-Mann *** rcmann4 at earthlink.net

 

 

Date: Sun, 03 Jul 2005 22:00:53 -0500

From: Robert Downie <rdownie at mb.sympatico.ca>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: A Question of Serving

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

We do it "backwards" in our group.  We always get the most junior

members to do the toasts, and have done it that way for 35 years and

counting :-)  It's nice in that it helps make them feel included, and

it's not always the same people doing it every time.

 

Faerisa

 

 

Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2005 08:15:51 -0600

From: Sue Clemenger <mooncat at in-tch.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: A Question of Serving

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

It's the senior or ranking peer around here, not the royalty, that makes

the toasts.  The first toast is always *to* the Crown and Kingdom,

anyway <g>.  And then there's one to any visiting royals, but that's

about it.

 

It was....odd....when I realized that I'm pretty much the oldest

(active) peer in my barony, if not the one of highest rank.  We have a

local viscount who's pretty much a non-player, and a Count who plays but

can rarely make feasts because of his work schedule.  I'm usually in the

kitchen, though, so the toast thing is really not something I remember

to do....

 

--Maire

 

 

Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2005 11:29:47 -0400

From: "Daniel  Phelps" <phelpsd at gate.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: A Question of Serving

To: <mooncat at in-tch.com>, "Cooks within the SCA"

        <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

> It's the senior or ranking peer around here, not the royalty, that makes

> the toasts.  The first toast is always *to* the Crown and Kingdom,

> anyway <g>.  And then there's one to any visiting royals, but that's about it.

> It was....odd....when I realized that I'm pretty much the oldest

> (active) peer in my barony, if not the one of highest rank.  We have a

> local viscount who's pretty much a non-player, and a Count who plays but

> can rarely make feasts because of his work schedule.  I'm usually in the

> kitchen, though, so the toast thing is really not something I remember

> to do....

> --Maire

 

Hmmm... when I'm stewarding the hall I always look for the senior knight

present and suggest that he/she make it.  If I don't know who is senior I

find one that is likely obliging and suggest that whomever senior present in

their circle make the toast.  If none are present, unlikely, I would default

to either a Laurel or a Pelican, best case being a double Peer.  Is it being

suggested that a Royal, in decending order Ducal, County or Vicounty, Peer

rather than bestowed Peer have precedent is such cases?

 

Daniel

 

 

Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2005 12:04:41 -0400

From: "Elise Fleming" <alysk at ix.netcom.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: A Question of Serving

To: "Aurelia Rufinia" <aureliarufinia at yahoo.com>,       "Cooks within the

        SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Aurelia asked:

> What happens when there's no Royalty present?

 

If the event is in a barony, I believe it should be the baron/ess's

responsibility since they hold that land from the Crown.  The baron/ess

would probably ask their local herald to handle the matter.  If there's no

barony, one would hope that the event steward would take the responsibility

for arranging the toasts, but not all event stewards are likely to think of

it. This is something that perhaps each event staff should discuss.  Local

heralds would be the logical folk to end up seeking out who were the higher

ranking folk.

 

If there are no ex-royalty (ducal, county, viscounty)  present, then any

bestowed Peer outranks everyone else and, unless I'm mistaken, any bestowed

Peer outranks landed barons and baronesses.  Then come the landed folk

followed by court barons.  Within each of these categories, precedence goes

by "time in rank" - who received the dukedom, the Laurel, before someone in

the same category.  Unless a kingdom has something different than the

above, the next people in rank are those who hold the higher ranked kingdom

awards, and that varies from kingdom to kingdom.  The toasting should, I

believe, be done by residents of that kingdom.  So, if Duke Strongarm from

Ealdormere is present at a Middle Kingdom event, he is not considered in

the hunt for the highest ranking person.

 

If I'm at a non-baronial, non-royalty event, I usually take it upon myself

(as a Peer) to ask the event steward if arrangements have been made.  It is

unfortunate if toasting the Royalty is left to a feaster to think about and

start. (I was in one barony where the landed baron and baroness never made

arrangements to toast their liege lords.  We sat in suspense through feasts

wondering if they would do it - never! - and then if anyone would be daring

enough to propose the toasts in the face of their refusal.  Talk about

politics!) So, again, thanks to Margaret for arranging it!

 

Alys Katharine

 

Elise Fleming

 

 

Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2005 12:19:40 -0400

From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler1 at comcast.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: A Question of Serving

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Daniel Phelps wrote:

> Hmmm... when I'm stewarding the hall I always look for the senior knight

> present and suggest that he/she make it.  If I don't know who is senior I

> find one that is likely obliging and suggest that whomever senior present in

> their circle make the toast.  If none are present, unlikely, I would default

> to either a Laurel or a Pelican, best case being a double Peer.  Is it being

> suggested that a Royal, in decending order Ducal, County or Vicounty, Peer

> rather than bestowed Peer have precedent is such cases?

>

> Daniel

 

Out of curiousity, why do you look for the senior knight?  After all,

the peerage orders are (supposedly) all equal...

 

In Atlantia, the one who does the toasts is usually the senior peer

present. This individual toasts the Crowns.  Then the next senior will

toast the Crown Prince/Princess, followed by a visiting Baron/Baroness

who will toast the hosting Baron/Baroness.  It doesn't always follow

this order...it usually depends on who is present.  On occasion,

especially recently, the hosting Baron/Baroness will toast the

Crowns...which to my mind has a certain sort of period logic to it!

 

Kiri

 

 

Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2005 12:19:40 -0400

From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler1 at comcast.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: A Question of Serving

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Daniel Phelps wrote:

> Hmmm... when I'm stewarding the hall I always look for the senior knight

> present and suggest that he/she make it.  If I don't know who is senior I

> find one that is likely obliging and suggest that whomever senior present in

> their circle make the toast.  If none are present, unlikely, I would default

> to either a Laurel or a Pelican, best case being a double Peer.  Is it being

> suggested that a Royal, in decending order Ducal, County or Vicounty, Peer

> rather than bestowed Peer have precedent is such cases?

>

> Daniel

 

Out of curiousity, why do you look for the senior knight?  After all,

the peerage orders are (supposedly) all equal...

 

In Atlantia, the one who does the toasts is usually the senior peer

present. This individual toasts the Crowns.  Then the next senior will

toast the Crown Prince/Princess, followed by a visiting Baron/Baroness

who will toast the hosting Baron/Baroness.  It doesn't always follow

this order...it usually depends on who is present.  On occasion,

especially recently, the hosting Baron/Baroness will toast the

Crowns...which to my mind has a certain sort of period logic to it!

 

Kiri

 

 

Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2005 18:31:12 -0400

From: "Elise Fleming" <alysk at ix.netcom.com>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Toasts:  Was A Question of Serving

To: "sca-cooks at ansteorra.org" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Daniel wrote:

> Hmmm... when I'm stewarding the hall I always look for the senior knight

> present and suggest that he/she make it. If I don't know who is senior I

> find one that is likely obliging and suggest that whomever senior present in

> their circle make the toast. If none are present, ulikely, I would default

> to either a Laurel or a Pelican, best case being a double Peer. Is it being

> suggested that a Royal, in descending order Ducal, County or Vicounty, Peer

> rather than bestowed Peer have precedent is such cases?

 

Yes. Now, that's the case in the Middle Kingdom and I am assuming that

this follows a Society standard, the variation being as I posted before,

that after Court Barons, the ranking person is the one who has received the

highest award the earliest.  Also, if  member of the Chivalry received the

peerage in 2001, any bestowed Peer (Pelican, Master of Arms, Laurel) who

received their peerage prior to that date would take precedence for doing

the toasts.  Double peerages don't count for twice the "peerage-strength".

The peerage that counts is when the first one was given.

 

Example, I received a Laurel in 1992.  Anyone who received a peerage before

Feb 22, 1992, outranked me.  I received a Pelican in 1994.  That didn't

make me "more of a Peer".  My "seniority" still dated from 2/22/92.  Now, I

became a Countess in September 2002.  I then "jumped over" every person

(Society-wide!) who was not an ex-royal, including those folk who received

a bestowed peerage prior to 2/22/92.  My ranking is below every Duke and

Duchess, regardless of when they received their ducal award, and I rank

below every Count and Countess who received their county prior to September

28, 2002.  If someone got their county in October 2002, I outrank them

because mine was given in September.

 

The "muddy" part, speaking strictly protocol-wise, is that if there are no

peers present (or you don't recognize any), then the offer to toast the

Crown should go to the person next down the award chain.  I don't know the

highest awards for other kingdoms, but in the Midrealm, under the court

baronage is the Dragon's Heart.  So someone who received their Dragon's

Heart in 1999 would outrank someone who received it in 2003.  Practically

speaking, most folk don't know who got what when, and won't get their noses

out of joint if they aren't invited to toast the Crown.  However, I've had

to go up to some "old peers" and ask when they got their peerage so we

could figure out who the "rankest" ones were.

 

My most embarrassing time was not recalling which Duke reigned first, and

therefore asked a newer Duke if he'd toast the new Prince and Princess at a

Crown Tourney feast.  At that time we had a principality so there was a

need for four official toasters.  I'd gotten down to what I thought was a

newer Duke only to be quietly informed by him that he outranked the one who

was slated to toast the new Heirs, plus being the Baron of the group in

which the event took place - and he would really like to toast his friends

who had just won Crown. I had to go back to the previous Duke and

apologize, asking if he'd mind toasting the principality Prince and

Princess. At that point, he declined to toast them... and I was off to

look for the oldest bestowed peer.

 

So, if it's a local event without fancy hats present it's probably just

fine whoever toasts the Crown.

 

Alys Katharine

 

Elise Fleming

 

 

Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2005 19:56:17 -0400

From: "Carol Eskesen Smth" <BrekkeFranksdottir at hotmail.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: Serving and toasting

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Here in Ostgardr (Southern Region, East Kingdom) things are slightly  

different. Our Baron will always toast Their Majesties, as host of the  

event, and then the senior Peer (usually me) will toast Their  

Highnesses. It doesn't matter whether Royalty is present or not; This  

is How It Is Done.  <smile> The next in rank gets our Baron and  

Baroness, and then we have the cooks and event staff.  There are always  

enough peers around to cover everything.

 

Brekke

 

 

Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 04:37:31 -0500

From: "Betsy Marshal" <betsy at softwareinnovation.com>

Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Re: Serving and toasting

To: "'Cooks within the SCA'" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

I am seeing some inter-kingdom Anthropology here-

In Ansteorra- the senior knight toasts the King, the senior Don (light

weapon/rapier) toasts the Queen, the senior squire toasts the Prince, the

senior cadet toasts the Princess, and (gets muddy here) the local  

herald or "home" peer will toast the hosting B&B(if any).

 

Intriguedly yours, Betsy

 

 

Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 09:32:05 -0400 (GMT-04:00)

From: Robin Carroll-Mann <rcmann4 at earthlink.net>

Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Re: Serving and toasting

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Betsy Marshal <betsy at softwareinnovation.com>

 

I am seeing some inter-kingdom Anthropology here-

In Ansteorra- the senior knight toasts the King, the senior Don (light

weapon/rapier) toasts the Queen, the senior squire toasts the Prince, the

senior cadet toasts the Princess, and (gets muddy here) the local  

herald or "home" peer will toast the hosting B&B(if any).

 

_______________________________________________

 

IKA, indeed.  What constitutes a "senior" squire?  I confess -- and  

meaning no disrespect to the merits of the squires of Ansteorra -- that  

it seems very strange to me to single someone out for honor because he  

or she is a squire (or an apprentice or protege).  However, I also  

think that IKA is one of the really medieval things about the SCA.  

Other kingdoms aren't cookie-cutter copies of this one, only in a  

different mundane place.  They are Furrin Places, where people are  

Strange and do things Differently.

 

Brighid ni Chiarain

Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom

 

 

Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 06:54:25 -0700 (PDT)

From: Aurelia Rufinia <aureliarufinia at yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: A Question of Serving

To: mooncat at in-tch.com, Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

--- Sue Clemenger <mooncat at in-tch.com> wrote:

> It's the senior or ranking peer around here, not the

> royalty, that makes the toasts.

 

Um, yes.  That's what happens in Northshield (and the

Mid. And also the East.) The question about what

happens when there's no Royalty (note Capital R, which

is supposed to indicate *sitting* Royalty.) present is

that when I was Royal Chamberlain for the Prince and

princess of Northshield, if they were senior Royalty

present, it was *my* job to arrange the toast.  My

question was what happens when there is no sitting

Royalty, and therefore no Royal Chamberlain to worry

about it.

 

Also, in the Mid and in Northshield, Royal Peers

outrank the Bestowed Peers.  So depending on the size of

the event it can be a fun exercise in "Who came

first?"

 

From what I've seen, I rather suspect that the Peers

in Carolingia, at least, take care of it on their own.

 

Is that clearer?

 

Aurelia

 

Baroness Aurelia Rufinia

Barony of Carolingia,

East Kingdom, Northshield Ex-Pat

 

 

Date: Tue, 05 Jul 2005 13:41:27 +0000

From: iasmin at comcast.net

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re: Toasts:  Was A Question of Serving

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

 

Alys Katharine wrote:

> The "muddy" part, speaking strictly protocol-wise, is that if there are no

> peers present (or you don't recognize any), then the offer to toast the

> Crown should go to the person next down the award chain.

 

This is indeed a muddy part and that's where I've always relied on  

Royal Peers to  help out. Another thing that absolutely flumoxes people  

is when they need to deal with understand who *gets* toasted. You'd  

think that this was a simple arrangement until you realized the ideas  

of visiting Royalty, foreign dignitaries, local baronages and visiting  

baronages, and who exactly is sitting at head table on in the feast  

hall. Throw them all in one event and you have, if you'll pardon the  

pun, an incredible recipe for disaster.

 

Iasmin

 

Iasmin de Cordoba, iasmin at comcast.net

 

 

Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 10:47:34 -0500

From: Tom Parr <theseamus at gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: Serving and toasting

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Just to chime in with some toasting bits of info.... In Ansteorra with

what I observed during the reign of Miguel and Conal II as their royal

Herald, Is that the toasting isn't as much as rank but who is willing

to speak and proclaim the glory of the person in question.

 

Toast the king

- Any knight

Toast the queen

- Any Don

Toast the Prince (if there is one at the time)

- Any centurion (btw the Centurion is a grant level award for fighting

prowess and command on the field and for those who excel at multiple

weapon styles)

Toast the Princess

- Any Cadet

Toast the local group

- Anyone (during their reign I was asked to do this from time to time)

Personal Toasts

-at this time people will get up and toast those who deserve word fame

or in honor of someone's passing

 

All of these are not set in stone as I have had to do all the toasts at

one time or the other as the peers or others were not present.

 

-The Seamus

 

<the end>



Formatting copyright © Mark S. Harris (THLord Stefan li Rous).
All other copyrights are property of the original article and message authors.

Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org