> > Yes, and that was quasi-deliberate. By my second view, the carls and
> > thanes form an upper, 'propertied' class that mostly looks out for
> > its own. Oh, sure, they want to keep the cottars alive and healthy,
> > and exceptional members there may own their own plough team some day,
> > but really they need them to be cottars, their lifestyle depends on a
> > good number of people not having their own land to plough and teams
> > to do it.
> >
>
> I think there's a lot of truth in this view of Heortling culture. While
> reading Thunder Rebels, I got the very strong impression that all the
> cultural description applied only to carls and thanes, and not to the
lower
> classes. I think there's quite a stong class divide between cottars and
> carls, and the cottars' horizons are far smaller than the carls'.
There is definitely upward (and downward) social mobility in Heortling
society, however. you don't have to be a stickpicker forever, and your
family isn't bound to the stickpicker caste (unlike some other cultures).
Sure, most cottars are going to stay cottars, but there is always
opportunities to expand your horizons if you want to sieze them. And Player
Heroes are the type to sieze opportunity and squeeze it until they's gotten
the last drop of profit out of it :-).
RR
It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of this has
done what he has done.
- Richelieu