Re: Heortling social structure and wergeld confusion

From: bryan_thx <bethexton_at_KIkzAvdXAks2XtLD6HL6pXQ_PGFwu2eZPQyXT-uZXV4cwFAf3P-vN_5BH29cy2Ayte>
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 13:52:39 -0000

I think you are using an incorrect comparison.

In a feudal model all power flows from the king, and is delegated down in succesive levels.

For the Heortlings all power flows from the clans, and can be delgated up to succesive levels (tribe, kingdom).

Within a clan the chief generally officially makes all decisions. However a chief without the support of the ring, and of the main bloodlines, and of the leading women and the priests and so on won't stay as chief for long. So in reality it is usually some degree of consensus decision making, with chief as final arbitrar. Generally every adult member of the clan is a member of the 'hero band' of the clan, that is they support the clan wyter, the literal spirit of the clan.

A clan may well have more than one stead, and within each stead one bloodline may be dominant, and the leader or leaders of that bloodline may well have a lot of say of what is going on in that stead--but everyone in that stead still owes their allegiance to the clan, not to the leading man in the stead (at least officially). There may well be leaders appointed for certain tasks--leader of the warband, the dishthane, even the person leading the ploughing of the fields. But these are leaders appointed to a task.

In many ways this functions more like a modern corporation. Someone might be assigned the job of manager over a certain function, and certainly there is status and reward associated with that, but the people that person directs are supposed to owe their primary loyalty to the company. Likewise when the company enters into a contract is the company, not the president, that is party to the contract.

Note that is for the Heortlings. Other Orlanthi societies may be organised differently.

Regards;

-Bryan            

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