Title: romance-today-msg.wrd
Subject: Medieval romance in today's world
Author: Edited by Mark S. Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: romance, SCA, medieval, modern, ideas

romance-today-msg - 9/5/10

Romantic ideas from period to use today.

NOTE: See also the files: SCA-romance-msg, SCA-gays-msg, non-SCA-part-msg, SCA-as-family-msg, SCA-The-Dream-msg, finger-rings-lnks, finger-rings-msg, Perfumes-bib, Medieval-Hair-lnks.

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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
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From: James Crouchet <crouchet at infinity.ccsi.com>
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 10:12:06 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Question for our time(s)

I have a question for you all. What do you do to bring the romance of the 
SCA's time period into your love relationships? (I am mostly looking for 
examples of romantic things to do, not a write up about your love life.)

For example, one of the things I do is read romantic stories from history
to my Lady Clare as bedtime stories. We have read many books, including
_Champion_ (a fairly accurate, but romanticized history of William the
Marshal and Lady Clare Pembroke), _1001 Arabian Nights_ (selections from
the original, translation), _Celtic Fairy Tails_, _Katherine_ (another
accurate but romanticized history, this one of Katherine de Roet and John
of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster) and we are currently reading the full
translation of _The Three Musketeers_. 

So what do you do, or what would you like for your sweety to do for you?
Savian Dor`e

From: n.b-reid at mail.utexas.edu (Nan Bradford-Reid)
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 11:58:53 -0600
Subject: Re: Question for our time(s)

>I would also suggest books.....The Wolf and the Dove is a great romantic
>historical novel about William the Conqueror. Amanda Quick is also a favorite
>aurthor.
>
>Ysoulde
>Barony of Bonwicke
>House Crane

Well...William shows up in one chapter, *but* the love scenes are pretty
good.  Another really good one is Martha Rofheart's __Fortune Made His
Sword__, a  romanticized account of Henry V's rise to the throne and the
Battle of Agincourt.

Conor did something early in our relationship that was very courtly-love
like and touched me:  One day I came out to my car to go to work and there
was a rose on the seat, then when I left work for home there was one in the
car again and then when I got home there was one on my door with a note
that said, "Third time's the charm, to win your heart, of course."  It
worked!  Since then I've found things maybe not so "medievally romantic,"
but they could be substitutes, like my truck freshly washed and waxed and
full of Happy Birthday balloons when I got to it after work on my birthday!
He very often trades armor for fabric, trim, and jewelry for me, also!

Catherine.

From: tmarsh at airmail.net (Todd Marsh)
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 23:27:29 -0600
Subject: Re: Question for our time(s)

Don Savian asked:
>I have a question for you all. What do you do to bring the romance of the 
>SCA's time period into your love relationships? 

A few days after we met, I sent Xarazena a sonnet I wrote about our meeting.
On our wedding night, she gave me a book of poems to inspire more.  She
complains that I haven't written any poetry for her lately, but I reply that
an artist must suffer for their art, and I've been too happy to write
poetry since out marriage.  (Although I'm working on one...something about
my lady's attentions being stolen by our kingdom.)

Galen of Bristol tells of a time when he was separated from his (now) lady
wife Alisandra for 2 weeks, and wrote her a sonnet every day.  He's
obviously a better poet than I am.

Xarazena and I share music, also.  There's nothing quite so much fun as
singing or playing together.

I pray that this rude answer finds favor with you, even as I pray for your
continued health and long life together.  Written in haste (for my lady
awaits) on this the 4th day after the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's
ascension to the throne, in the XVIIth year of Ansteorra.

Llywelyn Gruffydd

From: "Jennifer Kubenka" <jkubenka at post.cis.smu.edu>
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 07:34:46 +0000
Subject: Re: Question for our time(s)

On 21 Nov 95 at 10:12, James Crouchet wrote:
> I have a question for you all. What do you do to bring the romance
> of the SCA's time period into your love relationships? 

Aah, 'tis a most thought-provoking question you've offered forth.

My lord Archibald write me poetry; however, as much as Ld Llywelyn
Gruffydd has written earlier, he has been happy as of late, and is 
not "suffering" enough to write.  I find this to be an interesting 
concept myself.  

We do not share music-making together, but perhaps that shall change, 
as he shows an interest in learning the recorder.  I would like that 
very much.

I find that it is in smaller things that Archibald brings his 
"Societal" behavior into the 20th century.  For one, I am one of 
those people whose brain becomes engaged in the next thing before my 
body gets to wherever it is it needs to be going to to accomplish the 
next thing, and so tend to run into things, or generally fall into a 
rather klutzish happenstance.  Always, his arms are there to reach 
for me and help me retain my balance, or to provide guidance so that 
I do not run into the corner of the table.

I find small gifts in odd places, oftentimes.  A rose laying atop my 
ever-present sewing basket.  A small piece of some favorite sweet 
next to my coffee mug in the mornings. 

Emher ni Maille

From: Kat <KAL35810 at Jetson.UH.EDU>
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 08:47:03 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Re: Question for our time(s)

Savian Asks:
>I have a question for you all. What do you do to bring the romance of the 
>SCA's time period into your love relationships? 

Some of the most romantic music I've heard is period.  I sing to him.  "Period
Picnics" are also nice.

Katerina

From: C11Hartel at aol.com
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 11:43:44 -0500
Subject: Re: Question for our time(s)

In Re: to romance,
It seems that poetry and music are the most widely ways of being romantic.

Lord Anas, who is a friend of mine, also writes poetry to his lady wife,
Erika.  His personna is a middle-eastern one and the poetry he writes is in
the form of Persian robias.  He writes them to her several times a year.  He
eventually plans on having all of his poetry bound in a book and presenting
it to her.  Sigh...I find this truly romantic.

Once in a "blue moon" my lord and I will go on a picnic and talk of our
dreams and plans concerning futures both in the modern world and in the SCA.

Small notes are quite nice, as is a quick call in the midlle of the day just
to say "I was thinking of you".

Moriel^^^

PS "Champion" by M. Christain Balling is a WONDERFUL book!  Sir Ian McBaird
loaned it to my lord many years ago and after he read it I did so too.
 Aahhh....

From: ansteorra at eden.com 
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: November 22, 1995
Subject: Question for our time(s)

>I have a question for you all. What do you do to bring the romance of the 
>SCA's time period into your love relationships? (I am mostly looking for 
>examples of romantic things to do, not a write up about your love life.)
 
Although my husband has already responded, I wish to add to this thread.

When we used to have a long-distance relationship, then a long-distance
marriage, it was very difficult to part once we were finally together.
Oftimes, I would ask Llywelyn to recite one sonnet in particular to me
before we drifted off to sleep.  Although it was not written for me, it
remains my personal favorite. With your indulgence, it follows:
**********************************************************************
III. Port

The safe port I desire is your embrace.
Where, sheltered from the stormy seas of life,
and Beauty, Love and Kindness hath their place,
I'm nestled in your bosom, far from strife.
A port is safe, but ships are built for sea.
Your charms I'll hold, and treasure while away.
I'll stock my hold with charms to carry me
throughout the voyage, and the lonely days.
Some comfort seek, where e'er their path doth wend
and to the next port sail when they are through.
You captivate my thoughts 'till journey's end.
My sweetest Lady, I dream but of you.
For though the sea must take me from your charms
I hasten to safe harbor in your arms.

Llywelyn Gruffydd
June 15, 1994
***************************************************************************
Even when I am old and gray, I will always be able to close my eyes and
remember his voice in the night, reciting this sonnet. It was written a year
and two days prior to our wedding.

On the rare evenings we are both at home and not having a meeting, we sit
apart, listening to period music while studying whatever topic is of interest
to us individually that day. If we find something to share, we discuss it
avidly, sometimes debating out a topic much like Eloise and Abelard.
Sometimes, one practices music while the other reads or works on the computer.
You have no idea how wonderful it is not to be interrupted so your spouse
can watch TV. 

Courtesy and chivalry are not merely ideals to be portrayed on the list
field or in court, but with your family, co-workers, loved ones, even
strangers.  These are the tenements I feel are basic to the social side of
the SCA.

        From one very happy lady,  Zahra Zena 

Subject: Latin Phrases for Engraving Inside Wedding Rings
Date: Sun, 16 May 99 04:41:56 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: "bkmca" <bkmca at email.msn.com>
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

> I wanted to engrave my fiances wedding ring with a
> Latin phrase but can't find one appropriate.
> Something like "forever" or "my heart is yours"
> or love and fidelity forever or anything mushy like that.

Forever - "Semper"

Forever faithful - "Semper fidelis"

Forever yours - "Semper tua" (addressed to a woman), "Semper tuus"
(addressed to a man).

My heart is yours - "Cor meum tua est" (addressed to a woman), "Cor meum
tuus est" (addressed to a man)

Love and fidelity forever - "Semper amor fidelitasque"

GLOSSARY
amor, amoris (3rd declension masculine noun) "love, affection"

cor, cordis (3rd declension neuter noun) "heart, mind, soul"

fidelis, fidele (adjective) "faithful, loyal, trustworthy, true"

fidelitas, fidelitatis (3rd declension feminine noun) "fidelity"

meus, mea, meum (1st person possessive pronoun) "my"

semper (adverb) "always, forever"

tuus, tua, tuum (2nd person possessive pronoun) "yours"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

Gunnora Hallakarva
Baroness to the Court of Ansteorra

Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:58:24 +1100
From: Catherine Connor <paladin_c55 at hotmail.com>
Subject: [Lochac] Nicer than cloved fruit!
To: The Shambles <lochac at lochac.sca.org>

Last week at our (Polit) St Valentine's Day Tourney and Feast, the fighters in our tournament were given red roses as prizes. They could then give the rose to anyone, such as their lady, or significant other. Many lovely fighters gave their roses to members of the gallery, including myself. As a "mature" lady, I was really quite delighted and touched, and my roses are still in their vase. 

Thank you to those people.

Catherine of Glastonbury

Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:37:30 +1000
From: "Melina Hall" <melinahall at optusnet.com.au>
Subject: Re: [Lochac] Nicer than cloved fruit!
To: "The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list"
	<lochac at lochac.sca.org>

I second this idea, we do a Rose/Token Tourney from time to time up here, & 
as my lord wins more bouts than I deserve roses, he tends to show his 
largesse & bestow roses/tokens to many of the assembled ladies.

In our tourneys, the winner tells the defeated which lady to present the 
token to, often with suitable words of praise or compliment.

Much, much nicer than a manky piece of fruit with spit all over it!

Asa

Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:34:08 +1100
From: "Emily Donnachy" <one_sexy_kinda_girl at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Lochac] Nicer than cloved fruit!
To: "The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list"
	<lochac at lochac.sca.org>

<<< I hate Rose tourneys.

I always end up with this spiky thing that I'm supposed to look after and
cherish.   On warm days I watch them wilt and die without any input from
me.  On other days I put them down to go and do something and I have to find
somewhere safe for them to be - I frequently miscalculate and then feel
guilty when I come back to a dead, trodden on thing. >>>

The College of St Malachy holds a rose tourney every year. Instead of 
spending a fortune on long stem roses we get one of our crafty members to 
make them out of ribbon, that way you can pin them to your dress. No 
wilting!

Phedre 

Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:43:33 +1000
From: "Melina Hall" <melinahall at optusnet.com.au>
Subject: Re: [Lochac] Nicer than cloved fruit!
To: "The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list"
	<lochac at lochac.sca.org>

Here in the North, we've used many substitutes for fresh flowers. Pewter 
tokens, buttons, chocolates (individually wrapped), snowflakes (crocheted), 
probably other things that I can't recall right now.

It's also usual practice to de-thorn roses.

Asa

<the end>

Edited by Mark S. Harris	romance-today-msg	Page  of