Meet Thora: Livin' on the Edge

So, who in the world is Thora?

Þóra Sumarliðadóttir (Thora when using standard English letters) is a fictional character I use to focus my research and practical handcrafting endeavors, a little like using Storyline method where I am both pupil and teacher accruing factual knowledge and practical experience.

Thora is a woman from Skala Brekko farm in Vesterålen who has made her way to the great Town of the North, Vágar in Lofoten, the place where fortunes are made in stockfish.  For the most part, she lives in the 14th century, though place (Northern Norway) is far more important than a set timeframe.   I don't yet know if she lives in the relatively prosperous years before 1349 CE and the arrival of the Black Death or suffers through the fateful slide into the Kalmar Union at the end of the century.

In SCA (see below) terms, Thora lives on the very northernmost edge of the Known World.  In fact, she may well be the most northern permanant resident.  Occasionally she ventures out to meet friends old and new.  For the most part she spends her days working on projects and harvesting the resources available in her Arctic home.

Now what?

Now the real work (and fun) begins!

Some links for further musing:

The Society for Creative Anachronism is an international organization focusing on the study of pre-17th-century Europe. Commonly called SCA, the many members participate in a wide range of activites researching and recreating this era.  The regional group for Europe, South Africa and the Middle East is Drachenwald.

Choosing a Name & Creating a Persona, by Modar Neznanich, is a good, brief overview on starting persona development.