Re: Dream walking?

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_...>
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 14:35:01 -0000

True, but this is very much a subsidiary issue. I don't really think bloodlines are self-governing or economic units (except as they happen to co-incide with steads -- but 'what stead we're living in' is pretty readily discernable'). Issues between the can (at least in theory...) be settled by fiat, by the chief/clan ring. Certainly much more so than even at the tribal level. Plus IIRC, the forms of marriage in KoS don't actually specify bloodline membership, just clan, so I still think they're void _as phrased_ at least. But I agree that's not to rule out some "lesser" degree of ritualisation/formal arrangement, where the practice isn't outright disapproved of.

> And the between-clan politics, as we've said, only
> matters if there's some wealth or power to exchange.
> For ordinary cottars, there isn't.

True, but a 'trickle-down' effect in customs is not implausible.

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