[Ansteorra] High Personna

Troy Bertram troybertram at gmail.com
Mon Jan 21 08:56:26 PST 2008


I agree with you 100%.  I try to act in a way that my 12th century persona
would.  My problem is that I am too much of a mushmouth to articulate the
way a 12th century persona would.  Something I need to work on... :)

On Jan 21, 2008 10:47 AM, Michael Gunter <countgunthar at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> > 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.
> I agree with Sir Jean-Paul in that Michael Gunter is pretty much
> the same guy as Count Sir Gunthar. But high personna, like period
> food, has generated a bad reputation because of poor presentation.
> For a very long time I, like much of the SCA, felt period food was
> horrible. But that is because the attempts of period cooking I'd tasted
> was, um......unfortunate. It was only after discovering the correct
> spicing and techniques that I found that period food was actually a
> very interesting and tasty cuisine.
>
> This is much like "Personna Play". I've experienced "High Personna"
> events that have made me just turn and walk away from people in
> disgust. They will be laughing and joking and being, well, normal and
> then will suddenly remember they are "Being in PERSONNA" and will
> effect an accent and go something like, "M'lord? For what is this strange
> thing you speak of?" They will act astounded at the food or cringe in
> fear at an airplane flying over. Basically it made me feel I was at a
> bad Rennaissance Faire or encountering a bunch of Captain Kirks on the
> holodeck.
>
> I've also seen wonderful personna play. What makes it wonderful? Because
> it isn't "play". People act as they would in period without pretense.
> My favorite little personna play was Hrabia Jan at Lions tourney. He
> was holding court and kept making mistakes to which the herald would
> quietly correct him. At one point, as if speaking to himself, he muttered
> he needed to learn how to write so he could create these things called
> "lists".  It was subtle and a perfect example of personna play.
> When I walk onto the tournament field and salute my Crown, my Lady
> and my Honored Oppoent I'm doing personna play. I also mean it.
> When I talk politics of what the Crown or Nobles are doing. That is
> personna
> play even though I'm talking about the business doings of the SCA.
> Drinking out of my period krug instead of a Coke can or even a
> modern pewter mug is personna play.
>
> Personna play isn't speaking "forsoothly". It's trying to look more of the
> part. It's avoiding talk of Star Trek or WoW. It's descretely covering
> the ice chest. It's believing in the oaths you swear. It is acting as
> you would act if suddenly put into that world. It is carrying that basket
> or helping someone set up or unload or encouraging new folks. (Okay,
> carrying the basket and helping unload a pickup aren't "personna play"
> so much as creating the Victorian ideal we all grew up with.)
>
> Michael Gunter believes in honor. He wants to help an overburdened
> lady carry her groceries in the Kroger parking lot. He believes in
> keeping his word. In fair play. He will help out an Alliance character
> who is losing to a nasty mob in WoW even though he is Horde.
> The difference is that Count Gunthar gets to help that lady. He
> also has the chance to swear oaths and believe them. He gets to
> help a member of an enemy army out of the bushes or in single
> combat.
>
> Making the SCA a better place all around to remind people of what
> we are trying to do is personna play.
>
> I will try to do a better job.
>
> Gunthar
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