Who is Cilean? Well she is my SCA persona, what is the SCA? The Society for Creative Anachronism is a global organization dedicated to the years 1 to 1603, and the living,
of said time period.
I began in the SCA in 1985, I came up to visit High School friends over the Easter break (Back then it was still called that). We had heard of the SCA in 1981, but we could not find any contacts in our area. So I was excited so with my good friends Lisabetta del Niccolo and the Marshman, we made food and got some tents...we had no garb...not that it mattered!
We drove to the West/Caid War, (which has now become the Great Western War or GWW for short) we arrived in the dark that friday evening, and was greeted with a young man giving us something called "Duck Juice" and it was yummy!
We pitched our tents and unpacked, morning shout woke us up at and we got out of our tent and looked upon a brand new world.
Gone were the visble trappings of the 20th Century, gone to were the clothing, people were making breakfast in garb. We looked around while we ate our yogurt (College students) and then went to find the 'Gold Key'. We were allowed to borrow clothing and then we walked about the field.
I am not shy, so I dragged Lisabetta all over looking admiring and asking questions to the populace. We volunteered to be 'waterbearers' and met many people this way! I also began my own obsession of taking pictures of the garb I liked and asked people how they made them.
We had caught a piece of the dream. Later that same year, I began to learn American Sign Language, and I had going to faire since I was 9 years old, so I was familiar with what I thought English Renaissance Life was...
We continued to go to the SCA, we found the Barony of Lyondemere, after calling Milpitas. We went to many tourney events and 12th Nights as well.
Time passed and I fell in love, and married the best man in the world Alexandyr Stirling. We had a son and moved from Caid, to An Tir and the Barony of Adiantum. Now I had always purchased my garb, since I was a stage interpretor at the Large Renaissance Faires, I would work for different clothing spaces and then I would purchase garb from them. I believed that what I was wearing was an accurate depiction of peasant life in 16th Century during Elizabeth's reign.
Moving to An Tir, changed my viewpoint completely, as I was shown books and portraits of the time period. Also I was able to do searches on the internet, and other people had discussions on BBB (remember those?) and AOL groups and Compuserve. I was able to chat with other people who also wanted to make lovely garb. I even learned what 'Costume' was and why 'Garb' was not considered that.
Sadly, I did not sew, I had severe Machine phobia-due to a tragic 8th HomeEc experience. I was in luck because I found some people in Adiantum that helped me to find and purchase a 2nd hand machine and there was a fabric store going out of business so I was able to get a great deal on cotton. I mangled more than I made but I learned.
2 years later had us again on the move this time to the West Kingdom, and more money to use in my hobby, so I bought a better sewing machine, and more fabric. Time passed we had another child, and I have been researching and learning all I can since.
I have tried many crafts in my life, so I now teach people on what I could not find when I began within the SCA: What Materials to Choose, How to budget, What to make first, and how to research, as well as Herbology, Candle Making, woodworking, and The Scented Life of an 16th Century Lady.
My Persona is Cilean Stirling (pronounced Selene), I am working on my device it has only been 26 years!
