We are family

From: Stephen Tempest <gd_at_stempest.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 01:57:47 GMT


Do Heortling clans practice fostering? I don't recall reading anywhere that they do, but also nothing to say they _don't_ - and it could be an excellent solution to the notorious "clan exogamy" problem. If the clan elders regularly send the youngsters to live with another clan for a few years just at the time when they become seriously interested in the opposite sex, it means they can engage in sexual experimentation without fear of breaking incest taboos. IIRC the Celts practiced fostering, so there are historical parallels.

Here's how it could work:

It is customary for Heortling boys to be fostered to another clan during their early to mid-teens. Girls will leave their home soon enough when they get married, so this custom isn't applied to them (and besides, since the point of fostering is to seperate the clan's young men from its young women, fostering them both to the same place would defeat the object). However, these are Heortlings we're talking about, so some girls do get fostered (if they're adventurous, or don't get on with their families, or get sent away for some other reason) and some boys stay at home (especially if their bloodline has few men of their age in it, or the clan daren't risk sending them to live with strangers due to their personality or habits!).

=46ostering happens after the boy is initiated and becomes a New Adult.
This is a period of self-exploration and growth, and contact with people outside the clan is an important part of this. It ends when he chooses a god and becomes an Initiate, at which point he normally returns home and is welcomed with a victory feast as a full member of the clan. (Before leaving his foster-clan, he is expected to present its chief with gifts as thanks for the hospitality. The chief need not give any gifts in return, but it is Generous to do so).

The mythical justification for this custom is that the same happened to Orlanth. When he was young, his older kin took him away from his family and made him live with the Strange Gods. Orlanth had to befriend these foreigners and learn to work with them. Together, they succeeded in their tasks, then Orlanth met up with his brothers and returned home to be welcomed back by his kin. [KoS p64]

Since it concerns inter-clan relations, fostering has to be approved by the Chieftain. Normally, the clan ring will make the arrangements.
=46osterlings have the legal status of guests who are "as good as kin"
under the Orlanthi Laws of Hospitality. Naturally, their birth clan remains legally responsible for their behaviour while they are living with their foster-clan. They may live at the Chief's Stead, or be assigned to one of the bloodlines, and are expected to work (and fight) alongside their foster-kin. Of course, a fosterling would not be expected to fight against his own true kin. If a feud did break out between birth clan and foster clan, the fosterlings would normally be sent home immediately (or kept as hostages - er, "honoured guests" - to prevent them taking up arms in the feud. However, that plays fast and loose with the laws of hospitality and so is a risky business).

Most clans will have two or three neighbours that they exchange fosterlings with on a regular basis, as laid down by Tradition. The practice inevitably leads to strong links between the clans as the fosterlings make lifelong friendships (although sometimes fostering can instead trigger a feud if things go wrong...). Indeed, many times a formal treaty of alliance between clans may include an agreement to exchange fosterlings. Alternatively, a clan may make a one-off arrangement with another clan, either for political reasons or because of personal relationships between individuals in the two clans. Of course, there may also be clans who, by tradition, the clan does *not* exchange fosterlings with, however closely allied they may be.

So - what do people think of the idea?

Stephen

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End of Glorantha Digest

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