Collected Precedents of the S.C.A.: Egyptian

Name Precedents: Egyptian

Laurel: Date: (year.month.date) Precedent:

Jaelle of Armida 1996.12 Pharaonic Egyptian names were ruled out of the scope of the SCA on the 3/95 LoAR. This submission does not provide us with any reason to overturn that policy. In fact, even without that ruling, this name would have had to have been returned since no information was provided to indicate that the two elements of the name are correctly combined. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR December 1996, p. 15)

Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1995.03 Another, and more basic, question regarding this submission, is whether and how well pharaonic Egyptian names fit into the scope of the SCA. Rules for Submission I.1. notes that "The Society for Creative Anachronism studies pre-Seventeenth Century Western Culture. The period of the Society has been defined to extend until 1600 A.D. Its domain includes Europe and areas that had contact with Europe during this period." (emphasis added) The Introduction in the Preface of the 1995 Organizational Handbook defines the scope of the SCA even more narrowly: "The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. is a non-profit educational organziation devoted to the study of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Most of its activities take place in the context of a social structure adapted from the forms of the European Middle Ages...." (emphasis added) And the submitter herself admits that this persona is outside the scope of the Society. In her own words, she is "a traveller, both through space and time, to the period and place of the Society".
On the other hand, the College more or less routinely allows Roman and Greek names to be registered. Is this name significantly different from those? If I may quote Harpy: "The cultures of classical Greece and Rome were accessible to medieval Europeans (at least, cultured and literate ones) from written records - records that were deliberately and consciously preserved. But the language of the hieroglyphs was dead; knowledge of the writing system lost completely. Recall that it was only with the late 18th century discovery of the Rosetta Stone, with its trilingual inscription including Greek, that "modern" people were again able to try to decipher the writings of ancient Egypt. A classical Roman name, or a Biblical Hebrew name would in some way be accessible to a medieval European (highly educated scholar), but an ancient Egyptian name would not be something that he could have any knowledge of or familiarity with. There is simply no connection available." In other words, yes, there is a difference. Ancient Greece and Rome "had contact" with Europe during "the Middle Ages and Renaissance" through their writings; pharaonic Egypt did not. Ancient Egyptian names thus appear to be outside the scope and domain of the SCA, much as Australian flora and fauna or Australian aboriginal names are. (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR March 1995, pp. 14-15)

Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd year, 1st tenure) 1992.05 [Ancient Egyptian name] "While a number of commenters argued that ancient Egypt (and ancient Egyptian names) is outside the scope of the Society, unless and until the Board of Directors places an early cutoff date, we must continue to consider names such as this one legitimate submissions." (LoAR 5/92 p.22).

Laurel:	Date: (year.month.date)	Precedent:
Jaelle of Armida	1996.12	Pharaonic Egyptian names were ruled out of the scope of the SCA on the 3/95 LoAR. This submission does not provide us with any reason to overturn that policy. In fact, even without that ruling, this name would have had to have been returned since no information was provided to indicate that the two elements of the name are correctly combined. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR December 1996, p. 15)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year)	1995.03	Another, and more basic, question regarding this submission, is whether and how well pharaonic Egyptian names fit into the scope of the SCA. Rules for Submission I.1. notes that "The Society for Creative Anachronism studies pre-Seventeenth Century Western Culture. The period of the Society has been defined to extend until 1600 A.D. Its domain includes Europe and areas that had contact with Europe during this period." (emphasis added) The Introduction in the Preface of the 1995 Organizational Handbook defines the scope of the SCA even more narrowly: "The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. is a non-profit educational organziation devoted to the study of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Most of its activities take place in the context of a social structure adapted from the forms of the European Middle Ages...." (emphasis added) And the submitter herself admits that this persona is outside the scope of the Society. In her own words, she is "a traveller, both through space and time, to the period and place of the Society". On the other hand, the College more or less routinely allows Roman and Greek names to be registered. Is this name significantly different from those? If I may quote Harpy: "The cultures of classical Greece and Rome were accessible to medieval Europeans (at least, cultured and literate ones) from written records - records that were deliberately and consciously preserved. But the language of the hieroglyphs was dead; knowledge of the writing system lost completely. Recall that it was only with the late 18th century discovery of the Rosetta Stone, with its trilingual inscription including Greek, that "modern" people were again able to try to decipher the writings of ancient Egypt. A classical Roman name, or a Biblical Hebrew name would in some way be accessible to a medieval European (highly educated scholar), but an ancient Egyptian name would not be something that he could have any knowledge of or familiarity with. There is simply no connection available." In other words, yes, there is a difference. Ancient Greece and Rome "had contact" with Europe during "the Middle Ages and Renaissance" through their writings; pharaonic Egypt did not. Ancient Egyptian names thus appear to be outside the scope and domain of the SCA, much as Australian flora and fauna or Australian aboriginal names are. (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR March 1995, pp. 14-15)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd year, 1st tenure)	1992.05	[Ancient Egyptian name] "While a number of commenters argued that ancient Egypt (and ancient Egyptian names) is outside the scope of the Society, unless and until the Board of Directors places an early cutoff date, we must continue to consider names such as this one legitimate submissions." (LoAR 5/92 p.22).