What a Relief!

When I started participating with the SCA so many years ago, I quickly chose "Moira" as the name I would use. There were several reasons for my choice: a person I highly admired in my mundane life was named Moira, I like the sound of the name, it was easy to spell and difficult to mispronounce (though both are possible!), and - when combined with my short stature - it forms a pun which makes it easier for folk to remember. Unfortunately, I felt the name locked me into an Irish personna. Now, that's not a bad thing at all, but it wasn't what I really wanted. So I chose something out of a book to use as a last name, and tabled the issue.

Years later, I started thinking about documentation and registration of both name and device. I think I'm close to having a device I can live with (kind of like choosing a tattoo...once it's registered, I'm stuck with it, so I'd better choose well!), but documenting a name has had me tied up in knots. First, I can no longer locate a copy of the book I found it in. Second, that book probably wouldn't be accepted as a source, anyway (sour grapes). Third, I haven't been able to find it in any other source I've looked in, and fourth, I still don't especially like it, and am not especially interested in researching documentable variations on it.

Meanwhile, I realized that I felt more affinity with the Scottish than the Irish. But I've been using "Moira" as my name for over 15 years now, and I'd sooner give up sewing than stop using that name. If only "Moira" were a Scottish name too...IT IS!

So, with great joy, I am pursuing completing a documentable, registratable full name. It's about time!