Healing Humakt

From: Benedict Adamson <ben_at_cd.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 13:26:16 +0000


> Date: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 12:36:56 +0100
> From: Simon Hibbs <simonh_at_msi-uk.com>
> Subject: Healing Humakti
>
> bjm10 says re. the severing of kin:
>
> >> It's not a "limitation", it's a "power".
> >
> >Yes, I'm sure that's what they told you, my good fellow. The isolated
> >often begin to tell themselves that it's somehow "better" than
> >connection. I can see your pain, my brother, we can help you heal it.
>
> This is assuming the family _wants_ to be associated with someone who's
> avowed profession is kill-kill-kill-kill-kill. Weregeld is damn
> expensive you know, and clans are liable to pay for the crimes of their
> kin.

In Anglo-Saxon England, a noble warrior had two ties: lord and kin. The tie to his lord was stronger than that two his kin. Accepting the equation Humakti = housecarl = noble warrior, perhaps the severing a Humakti performs is part of his oath of loyalty to his lord. The lord then becomes responsible for weregelds, rather than the family.

Powered by hypermail