> > Questions that need answers before we can truly judge:
> > 1) How did Esrolia become a Matriarchy in the first place?
> I think this is clearly stated in the legends. The males had
largely
> killed each other, the women wanted/needed away to rule
themselves,
> and they formed the Dark Age society.
Enclosure No. 1 (now lamentably long out of print) had some information on this. Basically, the Vingkotling Sword and Helmsaga culminated in the Last Royal Betrayal, where King Rastagar and the royal house of the Vingkotlings, along with many others, were killed. Details vary, but in general the king musters the army to defend the Vingkotling lands from an army of chaos, and at the last moment a segment of the army deserts and leaves the rest to be slaughtered. No survivors of the Kodigari dynasty survived.
After the Last Royal Betrayal, the gods were dead, so the Esrolian Grandmothers seized power for their "own protection," after the Sword and Helm Saga. Most of the Grandmothers are widows from the battle. The Grandmothers helped their people survive the Darkness.
> > 2) What does a typical family group look like?
> I think this has been stated pretty clearly: a matrilineal
descent.
> Men move to their wife?s household, most property belongs to the
> womens? families, most social decision-making is done by women.
Beyond this, I think the typical Esrolian family group looks very much like the typical Heortling family group. In fact, this is within the range of known Heortling family arrangements.
> > 3) How are family concepts extended into the wider culture?
> I think this has been aswered too. The family itself has been
> extended, with the councils being made up of family rulers who
meet to
> setle the non-amily matters.
And these extended family rulers are the Esrolian Grandmothers, who have absolute authority over the members of their extended family. They approve or reject marriages, dispose of the personal property of the members, and can even sell family members into slavery or exile them. Among the members of the family, the Grandmother's word is absolute and final.
> > 4) How does this culture influence the government?
> It IS the government.
The Esrolian Council of Grandmothers successfully resisted all of Belintar's efforts to reform it and the Council is the real ruler of Esrolia - and not Belintar's governor or deputies. The Council is composed of all the clan Grandmothers – some 200 or more. They gather for two to six weeks a year at a location that rotates according to a route established by tradition. The Council reaches decision by consensus and not majority rule – members can vote Yes, Abstain or Refuse. If any Grandmother votes to Refuse a decision, the Council must continue to debate the issue. As a result, the meetings of the Council are often described as tedious and everlasting. Esrolian men are glad they don't have to attend.
It is worth pointing out that the Esrolian cities are ruled by Queens. The Queen deals with judgments, outsiders, and obtaining divine blessing for the city and its inhabitants. The city Queen is not an absolute ruler of her city (unlike the Grandmother of her family), but presides over the council of the city, which reaches decision by consensus.
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