To move from the mythic to the everyday, I have suggested in the past that a Harsting Reeve is the chief's bureaucrat and professional pain-in-the-backside, doing all the everyday, bullying, counting and on-the-side deal making that is beneath a chief's heroic dignity.
The example below is of a Far Place Elmali Reeve, but the social role is exactly the same. In fact, in the story ('A Rope of Cedarbark', available as a PDF at Questlines) I added a footnote:
"The Sun Carl is responsibility for the prosperity of the stead, and it is his sacred duty to bully, bribe or cajole his freedom-loving clansfolk through each five-season span. Lagerwater�s Sun Carl that fated season was Maldon Fire-of-Waters, and he had guided us through famine and feast, pestilence and plenty for three hands of years or more. When offended by his bullying, we could cast our thoughts to the next Sacred Time, and smile, and know that vengeance would be ours. For each year Maldon was forced to take the part of Old Man Yelm in the Great Contest, and he got whupped senseless by Orlanth Himself while every adult in the clan looked on. It was a sweet revenge, and justice enough."
Now if you substitute Harst for Elmal you have the Heortling norm: The actual example.
Now Bhorghil One-Eye was not a particularly evil man, and it�s not as though he wanted to be petty and officious, or enjoyed being a persistent year-round ice wind up the kilt. It�s just that he was an elmali, and he was good at what he did.
Orlanthi chieftains embody the Storm, and they strive to practice the Great Virtues. Rune-questers these heroes, reckless in the cattle raid, generous in gifting, bloody in battle, eloquent in the moot, courageous in compassion, ferocious in worship, passionate in praise, resolute in heroquest, tender in courtship, humble in learning from their mistakes. So devoted are they to full breathing and herodom that there never seems time to plan the next sowing or check the sticklepick supply before winter... or even explain to a kin-poor vingan that she has overstayed her welcome.
So they call upon the followers of Elmal, the Cold Sun, loyal god who guards our dearest treasure, shining breastplate of Orlanth Clear Sky. The elmali bloodlines of our tribe serve as Sun Carls and reeves, Defenders of the Stead, Nalda�s Thanes, sentries, matchmakers, horse breakers, bee-keepers, protectors of women. While a chieftain blusters and blows, gives gifts, makes treaties, smites Chaos and rushes round the heroplane ensuring the sun will rise tomorrow, it falls to his Sun Carl to attend to the ploughing, the harvest, food storage, fence mending, muck spreading, trollkin crotching... all those necessary, tedious and often unsavoury things beneath a Wind Lord�s dignity.
Cheers
John
john_at_... John HughesMythologic: http://mythologic.info
May God us keep
From Single vision and Newton's sleep!
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