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Methods to develop a personna
On Personnas - Continued
Ok, perhaps personna means different things to different people. Perhaps
the term "role" or "character" may fit also. The term,
as I use it, includes your background or personal history, occupation,
training and all the other things that that makes you who you are. There
are detailed personas, and very sketchy ones. The amount of effort you
may wish to put forth to develop your personna is up to you. Think of it
as developing a new person from the ground up.
Developing a role/personna is a personal exercise. There are several methods.
One that I like, having not heard of it anywhere else, I call the Class
Method. To develop a personna using the Class Method, you begin on the
bottom.
The early Fox Fire books document the people in the backwoods of Appalachia
in the mid 1960s . There are examples of use of the ways, customs and methods
of an age gone by.
It is commonly accepted that the lower in the social strata, the slower
new ways become the norm. Clothing styles remained rather static from the
mid 1600's through the late 1700's, for the lower class.. Home produced
cloth and the inexpensive produced materials were the common mans lot.
Silk, velvet and other imported fineries were only used for accents. The
common sort could not easily afford luxuries.
By taking on the personna of a member of the lower class, or a role of
a "mover", it is expected that you will have a limited supply
of gear. Movers, the people relocating to the frontier, had only what they
could transport. They brought the best quality that was available and affordable.
These core items were to serve until replacements could be made or a trip
back to civilization was planned.
After you have quality core gear, then the extras can be added. The homestead
has been set and a crop made and sold. Luxuries and non-necessary items
may be added. You have moved up to lower middle class. With research and
a direction, you proceed to your station in life.
With a proper history, you could be a relocating farmer, a soldier that
received a grant for service in the War, or a runaway apprentice. The only
limit is your imagination and research.
Another method of developing a character is to research your roots. Pick
a time or a person and emulate them. This is the method that I used.
The advantage of this method is that most of the major decisions have been
made. Your ancestor had an occupation and a station in the social class.
All that is required is to become that person, or an imaginary composite
of the family at that time.
The most difficult method to direct the 'skinner in historical accuracy
is the Hit and Miss Method. It is a very popular method, however.
Begin by copying whatever catches your eye. Mix and match as the whim touches
you. It helps if you do not ask questions or do any research. Soon you
will be in the ranks of the Rogers Rangers that shot a Sharps and lived
in a teepee.
Coming soon: Examples of personas (or roles, or characters - whatever)
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My personna
This is the third installment on developing a personna. It all started
when a friend decided to get into the reenacting game, but didn't know
where to start. Having a personna helps to direct your purchases, goods
used and even manner of dress and deportment.
This may get involved; complete histories (personna or real) usually do!
A bit of my (real) family history....it all ties together in the end.
1744: Grandfather (Matthew Finn), married, 3 sons, Irish fisherman, was
pressed into British Navy.
1745: Matthew's left lower leg (at knee) amputated due to infected wound,
mustered out of Navy. Returned home.
1749: Father (2d son, Sean Finn), Grandparents; both sides, 2 Uncles,....2d
family (Mickie or McKee Clan - even spelled McKay on occasion) (68 people
in all) chartered the good ship Adventurer and relocated to The New World.
Settled in the Carolinas on a Land Grant for the Group.
So far this is true........except for the generation titles. Now for the
tall tale:
1752: I am born, 4th of finally 5 sons of Sean Finn.
I grew up on a small Farm outside Columbia; tobacco, potash, timber and
livestock.
As was common at he time - Oldest Son will inherit land, Youngest Son was
favorite, I spent large amounts of time with Grandfather, learned knots
and tales of the sea. Learned small amount of reading and writing, spent
time with Cherokee local Tribe; learned hunting and trapping.
1769: Apprenticed to a Carpenter. Didn't much like the work, treatment
or town (Charleston) after living on the Farm.
1770: Ran away; hopefully to sea, signed on a coastal freighter, found
that stories are better than reality, jumped ship in Brunswick, Ga.
Gets vague here; no money, no history, no family, remained 1/2 step ahead
of Authorities. This is actually historically correct. People were not
mobile like they are today. Most people died within several miles of where
they were born. An outsider without an excuse for being in the area was
a rarity. If they could not produce a valid reason for being around, they
must be up to no good.
Got into the Deer Hide trade (gathering, trading, curing) with the Lower
Creeks on the Alabama/ Florida border, transporting hides to St Mary's
for trade with the shippers to England and France.
(The Lower Creek influence on my personna is/was great. I reenacted this
era in N. Florida / S. Georgia for several years, developed this history,
etc. 1790's were when the Seminole Groups split from the Lower Creek Tribes
and began as a separate identify)
1795: Deer hide trading coming to a close due to effective extinction.
Suddenly, relatively speaking, deer hides went from a side benefit from
food to a cash crop. Along with the availability of metal knives, pots
and other items that could not be produced at home, a need for an easily
procured trade item was needed. Deer hides fit the bill. The more trade
stuff that was gathered, the more was needed. It was good for the deer
hide traders, but hard on the deer.
The easy live was drawing to a close. Have had problems with the French
to the west, Spanish to the south, Creek and Seminole beginning to bicker.
The Seminole had been moving south into Florida.
1810: The Louisiana Purchase had been completed and the movement into the
west was about to begin. Having heard of the sale from a French pack peddler
out of New Orleans, decided to get a jump on the crowds. Moved up to the
junction of the Kaw and Missouri Rivers where Fort Osage (trade fort) was
to be built. Have plans to develop secondary trade in the Trading Post
area (old French trading post on the Marais des Cygnes River near present
day Pleasanton, Ks) with the locals and transporting it to Ft Osage to
sell/trade.
Even I agree that is a little more history than is really needed to wear
funny clothes and sit around a campfire. I have an excuse, though. As a
first person reenactor, I get asked how I learned to tie fancy knots, make
netting and other such questions. I needed a historically reasonable answer.
Being familiar with my genealogy, the answer was easy. I slid into an ancestors
family during the time period that I was interested in.
Another side benefit is the personna that I have taken fits my type. I
like the minimalist approach to camping. As a ner-do-well, I would have
less "stuff". The few fancy things I like were possibly relieved
from the previous owner without permission, or received as a gift for a
service performed. Perhaps this will give a little background. The finer
details change to fit the story at the time, but the backbone stays the
same.
You never know when a history teacher or archeolegist may show up.
Need a genuine hand netted potato bag? It's a little thing I learned from
my Grandpa when I was a child......
JP Finn