Re: Ideas for game - travelling through Heortland in the summer of 1600ST

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_-UDCYzwOCGSXgnRzFD1QyZJcV5FV0XjkKDym152vT8P8QOMl0NME8DkAclNfkqYeIbh>
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:09:10 +1200


At 01:11 a.m. 26/09/2007, you wrote:

> >I really don't see the development [from elective leadership to hereditary
> >succession]. Hereditary succession and elective leadership has been
> >kicking back and forth across Europe down through the centuries. In
> >particular the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish Crown were elective.
>
>Sure the development took place at different times in different
>places.

In which case, it's hardly the surefire logical progression you originally implied.

>However prior to about 1000 AD most of Europe had a
>system of selecting the most suitable candidate from an elite
>group. By the renaissance most of Europe had a system based on
>inheritance.

Well, the Carolingians had hereditary succession and they were both before 1000 AD and controlled a fair bit of europe. Likewise the Anglo-saxons had fair bit of hereditary succession. As I said before, it's been kicking back and forth.

> I'm unaware of any country which went from a
>hereditary monarch to an elective one in that period.

I've already mentioned them. The Polish Crown was hereditary in the Jagiellons until the Nobility became strong enough to make the Crown elective. Likewise Charlemagne's german possessions were hereditary within the Carolingians and then became elective. I suppose one could also include Oliver Cromwell as an example of an elected Monarch.

>In the
>Middle East that development probably took place in pre-history.

Of the top of my head, the first Caliphs after Muhammad were elected and so too was Darius.

>Not the most competant, the most politically acceptable. However
>there is a qualification based purely on inheritance. That's a
>change from my understanding of Heortling practice.

The Vingkotling kingship is explicitly grounded in the hereditary principle.

--Peter Metcalfe            

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