The First of Many First Steps

Like so many who join the Society for Creative Anachronism, I chose a persona that would allow me to feel closer to my family's history. Because I come from a family with very Irish, English, and Scottish roots, I opted to be someone from the British Isles. More specifically, I opted for a 13th century Irish persona. I thought that by doing so, I'd be able to get to know my ancestors better. 

But when I begun my SCA journey, I wasn't interested in the research. I wanted to learn, of course, but there was no focus. I didn't learn about the culture, or wear the right garb. I suppose, much like someone's starter home, this was my starter persona. 

And now, after over 10 years in the Society, I've made the decision to change who I am. 

It began a few years ago, when a good friend passed a book along to me: Daughter of York by Anne Easter Smith. It's a work of fiction, but a well-researched work of fiction. The book weaves a tale of Margaret of York, sister to Richard III and eventual wife of Charles the Bold of Burgundy. The idea of a Burgundian persona started to percolate. 

I've finally started to make the moves towards being Burgundian. I liken this to an adventure. Not many in my area pay attention to this time period or culture, and it excites me to be among the few. It means that I am free to go crazy with research, and I get to know the pride of new discovery based on my own findings. 

The purpose of writing this journey down as a blog is not only an attempt to organize my own experiences for future reference, but also to, perhaps, comfort and encourage others in the SCA who are looking to establish or even change their own current persona. I believe that once one decides on a subject he or she is truly passionate about, the effect can be both overwhelming and intoxicating. There's a desire to find out everything about everything, which can be daunting and unproductive. Hopefully, if anyone chooses to read this, there can be some kind of familiarity and identification hidden within my words.