Yule Round Table

Order of the Argent Bear
Yule Round Table - Handout

We most easily find what we most often seek. Such is what we can learn from the teachings of Aristotle who tells us that if we would maintain virtue we should keep it always before us and discuss its nature and its acts often. For these reasons and more, many courts have made it the custom to discuss matters of honor and duty during feast. At these times issues are raised and those assembled comment and respond, each one speaking a little of his mind on these things, and then another. And this is done not so much to debate who is right and who is wrong, as it is done to learn the many diverse opinions which nobles may hold on matters of virtue. For virtue is too great a topic for any one person to understand in its fullness because no mortal is so fully graced. This fact is one of the reasons that fellowships both of knights and of scholars have been so highly regarded throughout history. And in like manner might our populace share this comradery.

To this end, Her Excellency, Mistress Sorcha, Baronessa of Eskalya has suggested that some matter of honor or other virtue be raised at feast for discussion by the populous as they will. And since no discussion can lead to wisdom unless it be in some measure directed and limited, a topic has been selected, that being which virtues are proper to nobility and proper to knighthood in particular. And in order to refine the discourse somewhat more, a starting point has been chosen in the form of selected text from Christine de Pizan's work The Book of the Body Politic. In this quotation, which is given on the reverse of this page, Christine lists the six conditions she finds to be proper to a knight.

[of Knights] . . . six conditions are especially necessary if they desire honor due for their merits. Otherwise their nobility is nothing but a mockery.

	The first is that they ought to love arms and the art of them perfectly, and they ought to practice that work.
	The second condition is that they ought to be very bold, and have such firmness and constancy in their courage that they never flee nor run from battles out of fear of death, nor spare their blood nor life, for the good of their prince and the safe keeping of their country and the republic. . . .
	Thirdly, they ought to give heart and steadiness to each other, counseling their companions to do well, and to be firm and steadfast.
	The fourth is to be truthful and to uphold their fealty and oath.
	Fifthly, the ought to love and desire honor above all worldly things.
	Sixthly, they ought to be wise and crafty against their enemies and in all deeds of arms.

To those who observe them and keep these conditions well there will be honor. But it is no doubt more difficult to do these things than it is to speak of them. Therefore, Aristotle said that the greatest honor is found where the greatest difficulty is.

Christine de Pizan
The Book of the Body Politic (about 1407)

The task, then, is to consider the particulars of Christine de Pizan's list, what other conditions might well be added, what examples we can give to support her statements and other like matters.

There is no fixed or preplanned format to the discussion save to hope that the matter, once raised and described, will yield opinions from diverse members of the populous. At an appropriate time, the matter will be raised, the quotation recited and perhaps a particular question asked. It is hoped that the discussion will continue from there, in courteous manner and avoiding the unjust fires of heated debate or argument since that would be unseemly at a feast. Every member of the populous, regardless of rank or station, is encouraged to make comment or ask question.

In order that all who desire to participate may have opportunity to gather their thoughts, this missive is being distributed with the quotation on the reverse and some possible issues to be raised listed below. Also included is a short biography of Christine de Pizan for any who are interested, but it is not planned that a discussion of her life in particular will occur and the information is included solely to give deserved credit to such a noble lady whose writings have lasted already more than five hundred years.

Some possible starting points for comments are:

	Do you feel that she left something major out ?
	Or that she included something of only minor importance ?
	Would you rearrange the order ?
	Can you add details to expand on one of her conditions ?
	Are there examples from History or from SCA history that demonstrate her points ?
	Do you have questions about what she meant, or what might have led her to form her conclusions ?

It is Her Excellency's wish that all who have thoughts to share feel emboldened to speak of them. And so if any find that their modesty or their quiet nature seeks to hold their tongue still, then may their love of our Baronessa loosen it to speak with both candor and courtesy.

A Brief Biography

Christine de Pizan was born in Venice to a Venetian family in about the year 1364. When she was still very young, her father was offered a position in the French court and her family moved to Paris. She remained in France and it is as a French writer that she is known. She died in about 1434.

The years spanning her lifetime were difficult years for Europe in general and for France in particular. The time period includes the Hundred Years War, the battle of Crecy, the battle of Agincourt, the murder of Richard II of England, and the assassination of Louis, Duke of Orleans in France. A papal schism in the Church saw two men claim the office of Pope, and the sovereignty of France was not only under attack from the English, but was being fought over by two powerful French households. Christine de Pizan was active in the French courts and these issues affected her directly.

Today she is best known for her books written to or about women, The Book of the City of Ladies and The Book of the Three Virtues. But her writing ranged far wider than that and includes books and letters on topics such as chivalry, warfare, religion and politics and included biographies, poetry and histories. Among these other books are The Book of Deeds of Arms and Chivalry, a handbook on warfare and military tactics; The Book of the Deeds and Good Customs of King Charles V, a biography; and The Tale of Joan of Arc, written shortly before the execution of Jeanne d'Arc. Many of these works were written for, presented to, and read by the powerful nobles of her time. Her patrons included Phillip the Bold, duke of Burgundy; John the Fearless; and the Dauphin, Louis of Guyenne.

Her writings also indicate how widely read she herself was. Examples and quotations used in The Book of the Body Politic show a familiarity with Aristotle's Ethics, Politics and On Rhetoric; Cicero's On Duties; and Vegetius' Epitome of Military Science; as well as Ovid, Livy, Augustine, and many others.

The Book of the Body Politic was written in about 1407 and uses an analogy of the human body to discuss society and government. It is divided into three major parts, the first dealing with princes, the second dealing with the knights and nobles and the last dealing with all other people. Each section of the book discusses the obligations and actions appropriate to that social group. For princes she discusses not only how they should rule, but how they should be educated and prepared to rule. The section on the common people further divides that group into clergy, merchants, laborers and the like and discusses the duties and manners appropriate to each. And a small part of what she has to say on knights is quoted above.

Sources-

The Book of the Body Politic, translated by Kate Langdon Forhan, Cambridge University Press, 1994

A Medieval Woman's Mirror of Honor, a translation of The Book of Three Virtues by Charity Cannon Willard, Bard Hall Press, 1989

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