Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

jvincent@eagle.wesleyan.edu (The Ulair) writes:

[...]
> > Both this correspondent (who does not give his name, which is why I
> > am referring to him by his EMail address) and Fra Tadhg seem to
> > assume that the lady wanted to teach about that particular sort of
> > poetry but felt she couldn't because it would be out of persona. That
> > is not what was happening. She mentioned the existence of that sort
> > of poetry precisely because it gave her an opportunity to make her
> > point about Anglo-Saxon society, and strengthen the illusion that she
> > was a lady from that society rather than a modern teacher or an SCA
> > generic medieval person. I mentioned the incident as an example of
> > the way in which giving a class in persona can make it more
> > interesting and effective. To argue that she could have found an
> > excuse for not doing what she wanted to do is to miss the whole point
> > of the story.
> 
>       I remain unconvinced that anything of use was conveyed in this fashion. 
> It seems clear that THIS lady of that society knew naught of that style, not
> that A lady of it couldn't. It seems a half-measure to equivocate around saying
> "I could have, but didn't."

  Sigh.  No it isn't.  It's showing what would and what would not have been
known by the lady.  Period.  I don't see or feel compelled to look for a 
hidden agenda.  Rather, it is showing one person's attempt at period style.
 
> > What seems to be going on here, if I correctly interpret their
> > criticism, is something that one sees much more often when the issue
> > is authenticity rather than persona. People who are not interested in
> > authenticity assume that the only reason to be authentic is that the
> > rules make you (or that you are showing off), and therefor put the
> > issue as "authenticity vs fun." That assumes away a large part of the
> > argument, since those of us who are in favor of more authenticity
> > believe that it makes the society more fun, not less.
> 
>      What is Authenticity? In any case, I read it more as "how far are you 
> really willing to take persona?" Is it but a handy sketch, or is it a real 
> person? What would such a person do in a situation/society such as the one
> described. I think they want more authenticity (in personas), not less.

  What's your point?  You are using vague pronouns, I don't understand this
paragraph or its intent.
 
> > Similarly, Fra Tadhg and hzhao@eagle.wesleyan.edu seem to be viewing
> > "staying in persona" as the equivalent of fighting with one hand tied
> > behind your back--an arbitrary restriction that makes it harder to do
> > what you want to do. In fact, in many contexts, including the class I
> > was describing, staying in persona is a device that makes it easier
> > to do what you want to do--which is one reason to stay in persona.
> > David is not a nearly as good a story teller as Cariadoc.
> > 
> > David (and Cariadoc)
> 
>          As above, I suppose it all depends on how you view the persona as a
> human being, beyond being a temporal construct. Are they a personality, or 
> simply "a 10th c Norman"?  This becomes a highly personal choice, and one which
> cannot be simply waved away with the wand of More Authenticity/More Fun. 
>       Think and do what you want with your persona. No one REALLY has any
> guidelines on just how they should be or react. Just be sure you want to know
> what you are doing and why. If you are a "stock" Celt, OK. If you are a more
> assiduously researched persona from so-and-so, who believed X because grandma
> told you stories about it and once sneaked a look at the priest's grove, fine
> too.
> 
>         As Fred Friendly has said "the purpose of these discussions is not to
> change your mind, but to make the agony of decision-making so intense that you
> can escape it only by thinking."

  Again what's your point?  First you are against the creative and informa-
tive use of personna to make a point, and now you say do what you wish.
Which is it?  Sorry if this sounds like a flame, but you have me completely
confused as to which side of the discussion you are on...  Maybe I should
leave off with this discussion, I'm too confused...
 
>                  -Eirik

Kevin