Well, true in a sense in each case, but that isn't to say that the 'assigning' is at all comparable. Subinfeudination is notionally in perpetuity, and involves some having-duty legal oaths on both sides. A chief assigns land (notionally) at his discretion, and whilst it may become long-established by custom, is never a legal fact.
> Besides, many were originally culturally Orlanthi and still have
> landholding as a goal in the back of their minds.
Well, Humakti _are_ culturally Orlanthi, but landholding per se, in this sort of pseudo-feudal sense, isn't part of Orlanthi culture. It's possible that many want to retire as carls, but I don't think one realistically can 'accumulate' land and cattle that you don't actually farm and tend in the way you describe as a means of accomplishing this.
I suspect a common 'plan' is: become a huscarl; use your influence with the chief to wangle benefits (including perhaps rights to land and cattle) for your kin; bore them to death in your retirement with tales of your prowess, feet up in the family stead.
(Someone will doubtless tell us how this will or won't work in clans where Humakti are customarily without kin.)
> PS: Why would a humakti be content with life serving some BlowHard chief,
> anyway? The God Himself turned his back when he decided that the Storm
> Tribe were too dishonorable (in the Humakti myths, at least, which is all
> that the Humakti will care about).
I believe the correct refutation to such thinking is the Humakt the Champion myth. David, is Greg going to publish this at some stage, or does everyone have to make you an even wealthier man by buying KoDP? ;-) (Cool myths on CD, with a free computer game attached! <gdr>)
> PPS: Humakti aren't useless at farming, they just aren't as effective at
> it, even if they try to approach it efficiently, as the average Orlanth
> Adventurous or Hedkoranth warrior, let alone Barntars. Thus, this practice
> doesn't threaten to overturn Orlanthi society on a short-term basis.
In short, they're about the worst possible choice as farmers, this side of Babs Gori?
Cheers,
Alex.
End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #37
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