[Ansteorra] Events in the Last Five years

[Troy Bertram]

It is nice to see that I am not the only one who had some fears of high
persona.  While I enjoy it, I am not much of a wordsmith.  So I too tend to
stay back and let things happen.

On Jan 21, 2008 9:51 AM, Melissa Baxter-Kosub <mbaxter66 at satx.rr.com> wrote:

> When I first started participating in the SCA the idea of high persona
> events freaked me out.  I wouldn't go to one because I felt that I
> wouldn't fit in or totally mess something up and be humiliated in front
> of everyone.   So, when several years later someone told me that here in
> Bjornsborg we had high persona events I stared at them like a deer in
> headlights.  What?  We were just having fun and being silly.  Yeah,
> sometimes the event called for emotional, passionate dialog between
> personas but that was just us having a good time.  Then I realized that
> it wasn't something scary.  High persona was the ability to play make
> believe, adopt words and phrases that were not necessarily our own, and
> be transported to another world.
>
> Today, if I witness persona exchanges going on, I will stay to the back
> and try not to intrude.  I am not good at the language part of it, but I
> love to see the whole plan unfold.  I can go to the event, try to keep
> modern issues and items in check and enjoy the magic that is being
> created around me.  When I do try my hand at persona play I am who I am,
> I just try to do it in a different manner.
>
> High persona events are no longer scary to me.  They are actually
> something I look forward to as I know that the magic that everyone seems
> to be missing can be created there.  To give an example, the very first
> event I attended was a Viking wedding.  During the course of the evening
> I was scooped up by Master Ragnar and carried away.  He was "in persona"
> and I was a bit shocked but quickly figured out what was going on.
>
> YIS,
> Lady Branwen
>
> Jean Paul de Sens wrote:
> > I think I'm going to say what some others are thinking, but might be
> > uncomfortable saying.  I think it's almost a dirty secret for someone to
> not
> > think persona play is wonderful.
> >
> > I don't particularly care for high persona events.  I do not role-play
> well,
> > and it's not something I particularly enjoy doing.  Event's that have
> large
> > amounts of persona play make me feel uncomfortable and weird.  JP is
> really
> > the same person as Carl Chipman, although they dress totally different.
>  The
> > few times I have played D&D or other role-playing games, I am usually
> unable
> > to play someone who's not similar or exactly the same as myself.  When
> > someone forces persona play on me, I am usually extremely discomforted.
>  I
> > usually enjoy *watching* great persona play, and consider some of my
> > favorite people those who do a great job of persona play, but I don't
> care
> > to participate.  For me it's a spectator sport.
> >
> > Now, I try to be as good as a person as I can, but I do that at both
> event
> > and mundane life.   I love seeing good clothing, eating great food,
> > simulating un-armoured and armoured combat to the best of our safety,
> and
> > generally being in the company of people who still think that your word
> > means something, and that honor has a place in the world.  For what I
> love,
> > the role playing just gets in the way, for it obscures the truth of
> people.
> >
> > So the thing you lament going away, I have mixed feelings about.
> >
> > I think that there are others that feel this way, or similarly.
> >
> > JP
> >
>
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