Re: Re: Area of Steads lands

From: John Hughes <nysalor_at_mvNV11SClnzglT7bZMWyhXtBR7htPtT8bFIuhGj6cPavKphALW2smB-1G7JrTsue73_T>
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 12:26:59 -0800

I believe that there are no hard and fast rules for steads and bloodlines. There are single bloodline steads, there are smallish steads with three or four major bloodlines. You just need to rationalise the history. (Of course, if your clan history extends back beyond the dawn, this may not be useful).

I find it most helpful to think of bloodlines as environmental adaptations as much as kinship groups. They split and merge according to the fortunes of the steads and the resources they can exploit as much as through kin quarrels or family growth. A bloodline is simply an extended family, but it is also the unit of work. The steads are organised communally and clan resources are given by the chief into a bloodline's keeping. They are remarkably fluid in terms of merging, splitting and branching out. While most largish bloodlines will have a mixture of cottars and carls, rich cattle husbands and poor sheep herders, part of their herds (and therefore riches) are communal.

John