In the SC& we re-live the Middle Ages from 600 AD to 1600 AD. Each member of the SCA chooses a "persona" to adopt for activities within the SCA. A persona is someone who could have existed in the Middle Ages, but who did not actually exist.
In the SCA we assume we are all of noble descent although you can choose otherwise if you wish. However, although we are all assumed to be of noble birth, you cannot take titles that imply landedness or rank. These will come later in your SCA life.
To create a persona, you will need a name and a country or place of origin. Your persona doesn't have to stay in that place their entire life, but it is nice to have a place to be from. You can be from anywhere with which European culture would have had contact, meaning you can be English, Celtic, French, German, Oriental, Middle Eastern, etc. In the SCA, you can have any persona you want, as long as it is not a person who actually existed. For example, you can be 12th Century French, but you cannot be Eleanor of Aquitaine. You can get a lot more information about personas from other members and your local heraldú Take your time to find a persona that you
like and can live with for a long time. Once you've picked a name, although you can change it later, it tends to stick. You also don't need to develop every little detail about your persona now, because those details can come later. Right now, a name and a place are all you really need.
Country, - Your nationality or heritage is quite easy to choose. You can be from any land which was in contact with the European countries in our timespan.
Time - Pick an era that you would like to study in depth and possibly be from. For example, Crusades, Hundred Years War, early Celtic, Italian Renaissance. One of the neat things about the SCA is that you can always change your time period and move around in time. A lot of people choose their time period based on costumes, armor and historical events.
Name - You will need to research and choose a name that could have existed in the time and country you have chosen. This is the hard part, but luckily there are people who can help you.
The Herald's Office is the best place to start developing your persona. Other people in the SCA will also be glad to help you by giving you ideas about names and other persona information. If you have any questions about any part of developing your persona, ask the local herald.
