Mira Silverlock

Dame Mira Silverlock, Baroness of An Tir, lives in the Barony of Three Mountains.

Her interests include period encampments; tents. She maintains an exensive site on encampments.

http://www.currentmiddleages.org/tents/index.html

Mira started in the SCA in 1984, at a Far Eastern event three months after she was married. From there, she headed up the household of Kensho, formed of many newbies and good friends, including Fiach CuCool and Arik Longarm. She was elevated to to the Order of the Laurel in 2001. She is also a court baroness, so you'll hear her called both Dame Mira or Baroness Mira. Mira says, "I love to travel and to teach, and try to make it to Pennsic and Estrella as often as possible. I've been privileged to meet many people through my travels, this website, the Medieval Encampments email list, and the An Tir Nomads. I usually take my drop spindle with me to events, so I can sit and chat while I do my handwork, as I find embroidery or needlework too distracting from a good conversation. Newest interests include woodworking, and I'm starting relief carving as well. I was able to travel to Istanbul in summer of 2001, and it was a thrill to do so much research in Topkapi palace and the surrounding area. I learned a great deal about Turkish clothing, but my primary purpose in going was for the exhibit of the Sultans' tents they had on site. It was amazing!"

Her persona, Mira Silverlock, was born Anatolian Turkoman in 1540, then married young to a Turkish tentmaker in Istanbul, in the reign of Suleyman the Lawgiver. Her husband died in one of the fires that sometimes break out in the city, and she began running the tentmaking shop.

In 1557, Mira returned to Anatolia to visit family. Just after leaving, she was captured by bandits and after a rough week of captivity travelling, was given to the leader of a Lansknecht group called Ravenslevy as a bribe for safe passage. She now lives in Nuremburg with her husband, Ragnar von Grimsson, who has retired from war and enjoys running his estates and meddling in local politics.

She is a member of Ulfredsheim, a household of dear friends. Mira, a devout Muslim, tends to be appalled at how much pork and beer they consume, but has such high regard for their character that she is very tolerant of their foreign gods and odd habits. How she wound up among so many Scythians and Norse and Celts and Kazaks she has NO idea... The fact that her name sounds more suited to someone living farther north is a puzzlement as well (it has something to do with a persona change after people already knew her by the original name, but she doesn't really understand that). Mira speaks Turkish, Arabic and French, but struggles to read Arabic. She enjoys time spent in her garden, and is especially proud of the Turkish-style fish pond near her cucumber patch.