Douglas Seay wrote:
>
> >
> > > 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?
The lands of the Chief's Stead belong to the Chief. The office, not the office holder.
Sort of like the guy in the Whitehouse doesn't own it. He just lives there till the Chief is unelected (death being a valid way to get another chief). The new chief takes over the chieftains buildings and properties and the old chief goes to wherever he came from.
> 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.
That's the way I think it would work.
Of course, in some clans the Tribal King moves to the Tribal Centre, in others, the center comes to him.
> 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.
Get a smith to move his forge. Just. Try. And. Make. Him. Move.
> 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.
He moves into the office. He's got family back home to take care of the old homestead. But now that he's chief, he's expected to take care of EVERYONE, not just his own folks.
Makes sense he'd move.
> 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.
It may be that some of this is true. But the Weapon thanes are usually with the chief -- except if they are on patrol or living in Speedbump Stead. Afterall, when they are called to war or raid, guess who's giving the orders?
But the others might have traditional steads where they work. But many of the odd functions may be centralized if only for ease of supporting them.
> What am I missing here?
Not much. Pretty good analysis.
Jeff
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