Re: Tula

From: Douglas Seay <douglas.seay_at_...>
Date: Wed, 09 May 2001 16:04:48 -0400

>
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 08 May 2001 12:08:44 -0000
> From: "Jeff" <jeff.kyer_at_...>
> Subject: Re: Tula
>
> >
> > How do the buildings and people group in a Herotling (Sartarite
> > highlands) tula?
> >
> > I assume theres the Chiefs "village", often surrounded by at least a
> > wooden palisade. The chiefs hall (longhouse) in the center, and
> > temples, crafters and kin within the palisade.
>
> Sometimes. In more turbulent times, a chief's stead would be
> fortified (hence the phrase 'pallisade defender).

The chief's stead is a concept that I haven't gotten my mind around. I thought that the chief was elected more by ability than blood (although certains bloodlines may dominate the position). Does a newly elected chief move to the chief's stead, or do the other thanes move to the stead that the new chief lives in? Basically, who relocates?

If the chief moves, wouldn't that make the politics of chiefdom even more important? He could be the master of two steads (his bloodline's and the chief's stead), and the bloodlines that live at the chief's stead would not have any stead masters. That also means the chief is "not at home", so he is without bloodline support. At least some of his sons would stay at home with the herds and crops.

The alternative of having the weaponthanes, smiths, and other "clan not bloodline" oriented folk moving seems worse. Each stead would have to maintain a place for the chief if/when they get thier man in office. Either that or each new officeholder starts with a public works project to build something "suitable for his new position." What a horrible waste of resources.

My best guess is that the chief's stead is just the biggest and/or oldest stead with an extra hearth for the chief to use when he's "in town" (unless he's local, of course). That means that in the chief's stead, the chief would only be the master of his hearth, not the whole stead. Plus, an out-of-town chief would spend quite a bit of time shuttling back and forth between his home stead and the chief's stead. But that doesn't sound right either.

The only other thing I can think of is that there is no chief's stead. The bonesmith lives at stead X, the Dishthane at stead Y, the market is near stead Z, the weaponthanes are spread out at various steads. The chief happens to live at one of these steads, but that is about it. This is the most "decentralized" structure, and thus seems fairly Heortling. But it goes against the grain.

What am I missing here?

-- 
Douglas Seay               Senior Software Engineer   +1 (919) 405-4702
douglas.seay_at_...   Marconi Communications     RTP, NC, USA