| Thrall Party |
| From: "thain_moondrake_esq" <gangrel_x@y...> Subject: Thrall to Bondi in Scandinavia and in our company. Historicaly: The thrall's goal was to accumulate enough money to eventually purchase his own freedom. Aside from self-redemption (purchasing one's own freedom), thralls could be freed by their owners as a gift (especially for long and devoted service), or they could be bought free by a third party. The granting of a thrall's freedom was an occasion for much ceremony, as the former thrall had no existence as a human in the eyes of the law until his cash redemption. In most parts of Scandinavia, the freedman was adopted into his master's family, and thus given the rights and duties of any other free person in the law, including testifying or prosecuting cases at law. In Iceland the new freedman was "inducted into the law" (lögleiddr), thus functionally given citizenship into the Icelandic community. To seal this adoption, whether into an established family or the entire body politic, the thrall was obligated to first pay down one- half of the redemption price in currency at the time he announced his desire to be freed, then paid the remainder during a ritual known as frelsis-öl, literally a "free-neck-ale", which is usually translated as "freedom -ale-drinking" or freedom feast. The law specified that the first payment, the "freedman's ounces" was to be paid over as six ounces of silver, weighed out on scales in the presence of at least six witnesses. The feast itself was required to have "ale brewed from three measures" (a very strong brew, perhaps in excess of 14% alcohol). Upon paying this sum, the thrall would invite his master formally to be his guest at the freedom feast, where he would be provided with a seat of honor. Next, the freedman would ritually slaughter a sheep by cutting its head off and then "his master is to take his neck redemption off its neck". This seems to have been a rite in which the sheep "stands in" for the former slave, with the slave's old collar around its neck at slaughter time. By slaying the sheep, the new freedman symbolically has killed his old unfree social status, and the bloody neck-ring was presented to the master in token of this. The ale and meat thus provided served as the start of a lavish feast, during which the freedman served the master for the last time as a slave. =========================== =========================== In our Company: A Thrall must at some point within the first month as a petitioner, enter Holmgang with a full Jarl member of the company. The Holmgang is to be held at the earliest and most convenient time for the company. In order for the Thrall to become Bondi, they must defeat in tournament style combat, a Jarl in good standing. Hereafter the Thrall will now be a Bondi and able to where the companies colors. =========================== A Thrall winning the right and honor to progress in the company is an occasion for much ceremony and celebration. Usualy there is no other special thing that a Thrall must do but at the next big event I would like to have my own sort of ritual of frelsis-öl ("freedom feast") more like a drinking party. Where I, a former thrall, would invite the Jarl defeated in my Holmgang (That would be you Will) to be my guest at the freedom feast, where he would be provided with a seat of honor. So Jarl Hellsbjorn will you be the guest of honor at my frelsis-öl at the next big event we go to. (It means that I will buy you a free bottle of whatever you want. Just let me know what to get.) Obviously I will suply some other beverages as well for other Grendel members who wish to come to this event as well.(though I'm not made of money) ========================== All we need to do is figure out which event this must be done at. When is the next Grendel Althing? That would be an ideal time for this "freedom feast". |