Honor in the SCA

What is Honor? Honor is your good name or reputation. it's the value of your word. It can also mean a mark of respect (example: A place of honor at the table) and finally A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms.

Honor as a squire, refers to the first definition and can be tricky. Honor is subjective (Example, Holding a door open for a lady), based on the viewer's values and ideals, But there are a few most will agree upon as being honorable.

Value your word - What's you say and how it's said can be vastly important in people's estimation of your honor, if you're going to say something make your words mean more than just words, do not boast of yet undone deeds and value the commitments made by your words.

Help as you can - There is always someway you can help others, never is there a lack of need. It may be transporting gear or carrying items from another's "horse"  or cleaning out trash buckets. Expect no word of your deeds for these, but expect many words if yet undone and you stand idle.

Stand by your beliefs, but not until death. Beliefs can be a great source of inspiration and motivation, they can shape notions and breed dreams. But to be valuable they must always be challenged and you must be prepared to defend them with equal gusto, for blind belief (belief without reason) is pointless and can cause great damage. ( Example, I am constantly at odds with my Knight over who shot first in Star wars, He categorically states han, I say greedo and this is ok. Contrary belief is fine even between friends as we can both state a good argument for each side, but if I was to say it was Bobafett, this would be without reason and would degrade my honor due to lack of knowledge)

Honor in the SCA does not refer to battle prowess. While win/loss can be important to some and can be a deciding factor in team's/households/honor's (Second definition) your word or the value of your word is not defined by how well you swing a sword.