Re: carls

From: Greg <Greg_at_-mcy9ocbvUsc9Eml38iIZGxo085gaA7AzcrOorPqO8vo-_364MiUzYQFKVeYprAmGlPL2ia>
Date: Sat, 12 May 2007 12:05:04 -0800

YGWV David Dunham wrote:
> >Well both KoS and TR mention half-carls and cottars who I'd also
> >regard as farmers. We could be disagreeing on the meaning of the
> >word "farmer".
>
> These are all farmers, but I wonder if I'm including half-carls as
> carls and you're not.

Yes, of course cottars are also farmers.

> >You think that someone can get the status of carl by borrowing
> >enough cattle to support an ox team?
>
> Sure.

I do not.
You need to own the goods, not have borrowed them.

> >cattle loans will be much
> >more to do with allocation of labour between bloodlines. If a
> >bloodline has more cattle than they can manage they will lend
> >some to another.
>
> It's been a while since I read Nerys Patterson, Cattle Lords and
> Clansmen, but I think it's more political/social than economic. When
> you make a cattle loan, the borrower is beholden to you. But people
> seemed to think it was worth taking out a cattle loan. Maybe it's the
> bread/cabbage thing, but there's probably more.

I think that borrowing cattle does not bestow carl status upon a person. I think it is economic success that bestows the social benefit.

-- 
Sincerely,
Greg Stafford

Issaries, Inc.
1942 Channing Way, #204
Berkeley, CA 94704