What is in a Persona?
Within the SCA you can find people at both ends of the persona extreme. Some folk wish to have an elaborate well made, deeply thought out persona. While others just pick a region, estimate the time period and take a name that sort of fits. I do not know enough about the history of the SCA to tell you when they started wanting authentic correct for the period, names and persona's. But I can tell you there are some "older" SCA players who have some pretty fantastic fantasy names.
Making a persona for the SCA is not like making a character for role playing. There are no dice to roll, just elaborate backgrounds to create IF you want to. I put thought into my persona. Not as much as some, but more than most. I like to know the history around the persona, I find it helps me with all aspects of my SCA experience.
After digging around and spending entirely too many hours researching Scottish, Norse/Viking, Slav, Rus, Turk, and even some middle eastern, Indian, and Gypsy... I have come to the conclusion that my old persona would actually be the most suitable for my clothing preferences. It may not be "perfect" but its darn close to the comfort level I want in my tunics and dresses, and bonus!! I can add temple rings to a head-cover or headband, pretty bangle dangle jewelry! So out with the Scottish idea and back to the Slavic!
My persona, Negoshka Gorodisha, was originally a Slavic gyspy, which lets face it, is not really accurate. The Gypsys did not really let their kin mingle with other groups. It was submitted and approved about a decade ago, so I won't have to wait and wonder for the Heralds to decide. Despite being a name which gets stumbled over, and a propensity of my friends to say "god bless you" after I say my name, it is how i used to be known. Well, that and "the Munchkin." So I am going to keep my old persona, and begin developing more detail.
Making a persona for the SCA is not like making a character for role playing. There are no dice to roll, just elaborate backgrounds to create IF you want to. I put thought into my persona. Not as much as some, but more than most. I like to know the history around the persona, I find it helps me with all aspects of my SCA experience.
After digging around and spending entirely too many hours researching Scottish, Norse/Viking, Slav, Rus, Turk, and even some middle eastern, Indian, and Gypsy... I have come to the conclusion that my old persona would actually be the most suitable for my clothing preferences. It may not be "perfect" but its darn close to the comfort level I want in my tunics and dresses, and bonus!! I can add temple rings to a head-cover or headband, pretty bangle dangle jewelry! So out with the Scottish idea and back to the Slavic!
My persona, Negoshka Gorodisha, was originally a Slavic gyspy, which lets face it, is not really accurate. The Gypsys did not really let their kin mingle with other groups. It was submitted and approved about a decade ago, so I won't have to wait and wonder for the Heralds to decide. Despite being a name which gets stumbled over, and a propensity of my friends to say "god bless you" after I say my name, it is how i used to be known. Well, that and "the Munchkin." So I am going to keep my old persona, and begin developing more detail.
In the SCA you are interacting with all different persona's from all different centuries of the medieval era. So I do not need to be very specific about exact era. As you might note if you play with that interactive map in the "slavic tidbits" section, the Slav's got exposed to many different cultures pre-medieval times. From what I have been reading, Slavic people enjoyed adding other cultural things to their own lives. Jewelry and art, weapons and fighting techniques, and of course clothing styles. This gives me a bit of freedom with my garb, and as a bonus, it gives me a good base for story lines as to how i got my hands on a Mongolian horse bow.
I am going with an Eastern Slav, early period. This page has a drop down menu option, where you can go to get more information about the slavic culture, and about my persona as I develop it.
I am going with an Eastern Slav, early period. This page has a drop down menu option, where you can go to get more information about the slavic culture, and about my persona as I develop it.
I own a variety of different styles of garb. Some of it does not fit me currently, because well, baby weight ya know? But the garb I have that does fit, can be layered and fiddled with to get the right feel or appearance. I own a few tunics, and long under dresses, one very nice Medieval India type tunic ad leggings set, some sashes and belts, and several pieces of amber jewelry. So I have clothing to start.
Clothing to me, is important when creating the overall look and feel of your persona. It's a personal thing, many SCA members just wear whatever and that is totally o.k. An attempt at medieval clothing is all that they ask for events.
Clothing to me, is important when creating the overall look and feel of your persona. It's a personal thing, many SCA members just wear whatever and that is totally o.k. An attempt at medieval clothing is all that they ask for events.
To see more about my plans for garb, check out my Adventures in sewing page.
There will be blogs about everything I do as I go.
But first I have to find a good sewing machine. lol
There will be blogs about everything I do as I go.
But first I have to find a good sewing machine. lol
Whenever possible I try to use images from the internet which are not remotely copywrite. Just floating out there when I search google images. As I make my own dresses I will replace them with images of MY garb. Currently NONE of the images above are my own work, and I will merrily remove them if you contact me and tell me it is your personal image and not for my use as a placemarker or example. I will also merrily add notes regarding who's image it is, if you wish. My email address is [email protected]