Inspiration

(SCA jargon)

The purpose of the SCA's First Tournament was to allow the winner to place a crown on their lady's head and this has carried forward in all tournaments to this day.

Tournament fighters are competing for the glory and honour of the person who inspires them -- their Inspiration.

During the ceremony before every tournament fight, the heralds call on both fighters to honour their Inspiration with the phrase "Salute the one for whom you fight his day".

A consort is generally of the opposite gender to the fighter and can be a romantic partner, a friend, or anyone whom the fighter wishes to honour. Typically, an Inspiration with honour the fighter with a favour. If both members of a couple fight, they can be each others' Inspiration. In Crown Tournament rules, only one fighter may fight for each Inspiration and this practice has been generally applied to all tournaments.

See also: Consort

Comments

Subject: Re: [antir-fighters] Honour Inspiration etc.....
Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 12:46:43 -0800 (PST)
From: Karen Kidd <[address removed to protect privacy]>
To: '[Tir Fighters List]'

Forgive me for giving y'all this story second hand but . . .

Aleyn the Younger told me he didn't understand the idea behind having an inspiration until he fought for his first consort. In those days (those of you who know Aleyn know he has played this game rather a long time), you got your consort when you arrived. Aleyn said he was new to fighting and this idea of an inspiration was rather alien. All she would do is watch him fight, there was no promise at all of anything else. But he had to have a consort. So he chose her from the crowd of ladies and she accepted him politely but with little apparent enthusiasm.

However, just before he went into the eric, he said she lay her hands lightly on his shoulders, looked deeply into his eyes and told him to go in and fight valiantly (or like such words). She did nothing else. But the effect, he said, was instantaneous. He said he felt like he was walking about four feet above the ground, his armor suddenly was weightless and he felt fraggin' invincible. So he went into the eric and got his arse kicked.

K, so he didn't win. But he said, from that moment on, he understood.

I am, however, inclined to think it must be different for each fighter and each consort. Aleyn told me the above well before I watched my own consort fight for me the first time. On that occasion, I tried a variation of the above and . . . nope, didn't work the same way. Quite honestly, I'm not sure how I inspire him (seems to me all I do is stand, watch and send good thoughts his way). He tells me I do inspire him, so I know he understands. And that seems to be enough.

And he inspires me, too.

Y'all take care.

--Karyn Georgsdottir
Consort to HL Sgt. Thomas Sinclair