ES - Re: response to role playing

[Christine Fink]

Buenos Dias!

I agree.

I have been reading romance novels for years now that cover the Middle Ages 
and always wanted to be a real living part of that romance. In the SCA, I 
can. For example, I just really love it when a lord is introduced to me and 
he lightly kisses the back of my hand or when he comes out of nowhere to 
help me carry something (whether it's heavy or not). It just really sweeps 
me off my feet.

Though I really suck at foriegn languages, I have been making an effort to 
learn some basic Spanish for my persona. It just drive me nuts when others 
greet each other in a mundane way (though I admit I do it myself 
occasionally, so I can be a guilty party myself at times).

At Queen's a few weeks ago Phelippe and I were standing in line to speak to 
the Queen and so Phelippe could recieve her favor. The gentleman in front of 
us was Elias of Stargate(?) whom Phelippe had just fought. I was mistaken of 
his country and asked if he was from Spain, as well. He got a very offended 
look on his face and said he soemthing about Spaniards being a bunch of 
filthy dogs and that he would never belong to the court of King Philip. He 
said he was English. Well, my personna is Spanish (late 1400's to early 
1500's). In proper fashion, I acted insulted (I should have had Phelippe 
challenge him to a duel to protect my honor, but didn't think about it at 
the time) and we got into an exchange of words. This was just too much fun! 
I would love to see more of this portrayed at events.

Maria
(the talker)  :)

----Original Message Follows----
Wesaþ ge hal!

   My take on role playing is it helps the educational experience.  When I 
see, for example, two personas interact I like to see a realistic, to the 
best of our ability, exchange between the personalities.  Seeing them walk 
up to one another and go, "Wassssupppp!!!" does nothing more than annoy me.  
I would prefer something more cultural evn if in a different language.  It 
just feels better.
    On an internal level, I personally learn something.  The more I get into 
being Cyniric, the better I understand what I research.  Some of that is 
helped by Cyniric being a fifth century version of me with better looks, 
luck and money. :)  In a book called "The English Settlements", the author 
walked the length of Hadrian's Wall and other areas during his holidays in 
England to see why the Angle, Saxons, or German federati settled where they 
did.  I see the SCA as the very same experience.  Why just dig up a village 
when you can become part of one?
   For myself I hope to, within a year, be seen strictly as Cyniric would 
have been in the 450's.  I am trying to even develop man fighting as to 
eventually fight only using period weapons for me (while still taking into 
account my persona did travel and trade).  If  my hopes come to ful 
fruition, I hope to even be composing in Old Anglian for bardic and such in 
addition to providing a "culture camp" everytime I am at a site to the best 
of my ability.  I wholly expect at some high persona event to have Airaklee 
in my camp and we can talk about our mutual distrust of Saxons of the time 
and why, about our differences in religion as our personas might have done 
if they were friendly towards one another, and just see each other as we 
would have.
   This is not to say people cannot just be in the SCA without a well played 
persona, but I personally see it as intergral to the learning experience 
which is my primary reason for being here.  The Sca has renewed my interest 
in pursuing a Masters in Germanic Philology after I finish at UNT.

Rich Culver
"Cyniric"


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