WELCOME
Welcome, you who have found these writings. The original first section was called “Welcome, draftees,” because those who were on the list were placed there by their teachers, and that is why the “course of study” was rushed through, as they were not volunteers. Perhaps you have been sent here by your own knight or teacher or mentor, or by a friend. Perhaps you found it on your own. In any case, I hope it proves helpful to you as you grow in awareness.The following message was first sent in late February, early March 1998 for Duke Olaf’s squire Bjarki, Duke Artan’s squire Martino, Jarl Gunwaldt’s squires Bela and Bohemund, and my apprentices Sabia and Aindrea.
Surprise!
You're all in a temporary intensive learning situation from which there is no easy escape, so relax and enjoy it as you may. A week or two max, and I'll let you out.
For one odd snippet of reason and another, it seemed time for me to dispense experience and wisdom and you have been chosen for one of the following reasons: Being the squire of a duke who trusts me, being an apprentice of mine, or being a squire of Gunwaldt's. That would be Martino, Bjarki, Sabia, Aindrea, Bela and Bohemund. On the copy list you will see My Lovely Assistant, Mistress Helena the Fortunate.
There will not be a test.
Nobody will know if you delete the stuff unread.
You are free to share it out more generally if you wish.
You are free to print it out and try to force your future squires and apprentices to read it years from now if you want to.
You are free to respond, ask questions and complain.
You are free to be totally silent and never even acknowledge having received this e-mail.
Here is the topic at hand:
Special problems of being in the service of a royal peer.
What I see as problems might not be the full list of what some of you see as problems and I'm willing to go further afield than I have now planned if questions go that direction. We could bring Olaf, Artan and Gunwaldt in on this if necessary but they're busy guys who don't want to do a lot of writing they don't have to do. Nothing's secret from them, certainly, so run anything suspicious or frightening right over there (after dunking it in a tub of water if you're really afraid).
Some of you have heard or read some of what I want to impart. Helena has read most of it. None of you has heard all of it, I don't think. Aindrea asked me to put in writing something I told Martino one-on-one, so that will be here for Aindrea's special benefit and curiosity, but it probably won't hurt any of the rest of you to hear it or hear it again.
Topics coming SOON:
formality
overfamiliarity
humility
cynicism
….
That's all for the introduction. I have Crown Tournament as a deadline to tell you everything there is to tell in two weeks (or ten e-mails, whichever comes first) about humility and courtesy. If I'm through in a week that's fine too.
Ælflæd
| Copyright © Sandra Dodd 1998, 2002 |
