Lion of Ansteorra

Lenny Zimmermann zarlor at acm.org
Tue Jul 8 11:00:35 PDT 1997


On Fri, 04 Jul 1997 13:24:04 -0500, Sir Burke wrote:

>Since I asked this question, I should give my answer.
>
>A Lion of Ansteorra is a person who has raised their level of play to the
>point that the individual dividing line separating their person (mundane)
>and persona (SCA) is no longer discernable.  They have achieved such a
>total integration of their persona that is no longer a act, but is a part
>of their everyday life.  
>
>Name any Lion of Ansteorra and I think you will see that they pass this test.

Hmm... Doesn't seem that way to me. Master Leon Dunn is not really as
uneducated or gullible as his persona. Thoridis is not much of a
Viking when out of garb, even if she is one heck of a lady in her own
right and her own way. Thorgard is still a quiet man that we all
respect, in or out of persona, but there are still more than a few
differences. Pendaron is, in some ways, much nicer in person than his
rather high-browed persona is, at least to modern sensibilities. I'd
have to say that the only Lion I know who is very much like their
persona is Mari. She's just always like that. ;-)

I don't think separation, or non-seperation, of persona/person is a
great measure of a Lion. Not to mention you could never tell who a
Lion was if you didn't know the person behind the persona, by your
definition. While I'd have to say that I've met a few Lions who were
most certainly that persona and worthy of the title, even though I
have no idea what they are like outside of their personas and I don't
think it really matters.

Personally I think that Lions, based on the examples I have seen, are
those individuals who really provide atmosphere for the rest of us.
They play persona very well and seem to have a great grasp of their
persona's culture and ideals. But all of that is really just
eye-candy, to me. 

It seems that just by not mentioning modernities and by trying to
understand and uphold the mindset and bearing of a possibly historical
personality they provide nothing more than a backdrop for the rest of
us to play and feel in. A place for those "magic moments" we were
discussing earlier to happen. It is this simple thing (that is not
always so simple for those who do this so well) that, to me, helps to
really make a Lion. I don't think a Lion is a Lion for themselves,
although I know they find the persona play to be fun, but I think the
real reason they are a Lion is that they really do it for everyone
else. In some ways they are the consummate performer by performing
without looking like they are doing so. 

Honos Servio,
Lionardo Acquistapace, Bjornsborg
(mka Lenny Zimmermann, San Antonio)
zarlor at acm.org



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