Persona & Device

What are these things? Why would I want one?

Members of the SCA usually register, or at least design, an SCA name and a device for themselves. The device is a practice used by medieval people; when upon the field of battle, it would be very important to see at a long distance whether that figure coming up towards them was friend or foe! So their symbol was their means of identification. This is something we re-create in order to keep this aspect of the Medieval days alive in our society.

You do not ever have to register a name or a device, though many find they prefer to at least pick a name for themselves, lest some nickname that they prefer less stick instead. ;) You are not obligated to submit it even if you come up with it, but you are certainly encouraged to do so if you wish and will be assisted along the way by your Herald and anyone else you may wish to ask for guidance or advice. Everyone who has gone through the process can have some insight for you so never feel shy to ask questions.

A good place to start for this, of course, is http://heraldry.sca.org/

See the Members page for our very own members' devices! Members

A Persona is something that you may choose to develop, to whatever degree you wish, though it is certainly not a requirement. However it may help you in finding a name to choose a time and place from the past that you find interesting. Perhaps you may find one country more interesting than another. You can start there. Maybe you will find a name from there which you find pleasing and then depending on what time the name existed, choose the basis of a persona from there. This worked for me. So for example, I wanted to go with England, or Wales. I looked through names until I found something that struck my fancy. I registered the name Aranwen and since it could be found documented with that spelling from around 1200, that's what I'll use for my persona. A Welsh woman from the early 1200's.

Need a jump start? Try this handy questionnaire. http://www.modaruniversity.org/Persona1.htm

These links can help you look around at some different cultures so you can decide what sounds fun to you!

Some Related Links --

When you get ready to create a device to submit, look over this info

http://www.modaruniversity.org/Newcomer-Packet-11-Heraldry.pdf

And, practice how it will look laid out on blank shields (the square ones are for badges, something you might find you'd like later on)

http://sca.org.au/abertridwr/Abertrydwr%20Pics/T30/blank_shield.jpg

http://heralds.westkingdom.org/Forms/HeraldiScratch.pdf

Need some ideas about a Persona?

Vikings of the SCA http://www.facebook.com/groups/244158265607631/

SCA Japenese http://www.facebook.com/groups/SCA.Japanese/

SCA Iberia http://www.facebook.com/groups/338555562878719/

Dark Ages SCA https://www.facebook.com/groups/391992560863127/

Middle Eastern Questions -- see the files section in the Artisans Collaboration of Meridies facebook group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/314196732021880/files/

Nine Noble Virtues http://www.facebook.com/groups/213700625415080/

Discuss Hávamál and Icelandic wisdom and moral code

Tudor Conversations http://www.facebook.com/groups/TudorWorld/

An on-going conversation among like-minded enthusiasts of the 16th century exploring the world of the Tudors, with occasional excursions among the early Stuarts.

A collection of related emails -- http://www.florilegium.org/files/PERSONAS/idxpersonas.html