>From: Benedict Adamson <badamson_at_lhr-sys.dhl.com>
>Subject: Re: Vengeance
-..
>> Gian's question hits at the chief flaw of the wergeld/vengeance
>> legal system. It has a hard time actually putting an end to this sort of
>> thing, because it's slanted heavily in favor of those with money and social
>> status.
>- -..
>
>You can acquire money and social status by association. That's why
>the entire family is responsible for feud and weregild. A weak farmer
>can subordinate himself to a powerful local, who in effect becomes a
>petty chief. Favouring those with social status and money contributes
>to the stability of the system, since they have the _de facto_
>ability to chose when to stop the feud.
Agreed. I didn't say the system didn't work, just that it was
flawed, like most legal systems.
>> This weakness of the
>> system would make an excellent theme for an Orlanthi campaign
>
>Read 'Njal's Saga' before you do. The ending unfortunately has a
>rather 'christian' theme: only through forgiveness does the killing
>end. Perhaps that too can be adapted: only by the healing of the Red
>Goddess can the killing end.
I think you can go further than that. 'Violence is always an
option' and 'There is always another way' both tie in here. Perhaps
wergeld is the Ernaldan solution to the problem of continuing vengence.
Andrew E. Larsen