Eorling Mead Hall Planning/Discussion Thread - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 03-06-2006, 02:32 PM

Hmmmmm...... ..... are you sure you want to go there with Saeryn, Fea?

Did they 'roll in the hay', as it were? If so, did the loverboy keep his mouth shut? Was he of lower caste, or the same? It makes a big difference. This is not, obviously, the 21st century, and Rohirric (and Gondorian) folk had drastically different sensibilities about such things. For example, if Saeryn rolled in the hay with a peasant boy, this would be reason enough for her tyrannically unreasonable brother who is lord to get her married off as quick as possible, especially in an age with a dirth of contraception. Or if he was of the Rohirric nobility, then his rolling in the hay has the clear purpose of getting Saeryn pregnant as the first step toward marriage. In the middle ages, young folk "rolled" first, waited to see if she got pregnant, then if she did, they were considered married as of the day of "rolling", and they had the formality later. If Saeryn has run away from a marriage that her brother was forcing on her on these grounds, then Eodwine is suddenly in a rather compromised position as he who will speak for Saeryn. You see, if Saeryn has "rolled" and has withheld this information while accepting Eodwine's oath (not rejecting is tantamount to accepting, by the way), she has presumed too much upon his mercy. Beside all that, if she has rolled, Saeryn, knowing all these things as one who grew up in the middle of this culture, her 'devilish grin' is very much out of character considering how you've described her so far. Or, it is in character and she is not what she has played herself to be.

On the other hand....... if she has not "rolled in the hay" but merely romanced with this young man, then things are only a little embarrassing and the brother lord is still in the wrong, and if he knew, he's overreacting.

Which is it?

03-06-2006, 02:32 PM	#11
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Hmmmmm...... ..... are you sure you want to go there with Saeryn, Fea? Did they 'roll in the hay', as it were? If so, did the loverboy keep his mouth shut? Was he of lower caste, or the same? It makes a big difference. This is not, obviously, the 21st century, and Rohirric (and Gondorian) folk had drastically different sensibilities about such things. For example, if Saeryn rolled in the hay with a peasant boy, this would be reason enough for her tyrannically unreasonable brother who is lord to get her married off as quick as possible, especially in an age with a dirth of contraception. Or if he was of the Rohirric nobility, then his rolling in the hay has the clear purpose of getting Saeryn pregnant as the first step toward marriage. In the middle ages, young folk "rolled" first, waited to see if she got pregnant, then if she did, they were considered married as of the day of "rolling", and they had the formality later. If Saeryn has run away from a marriage that her brother was forcing on her on these grounds, then Eodwine is suddenly in a rather compromised position as he who will speak for Saeryn. You see, if Saeryn has "rolled" and has withheld this information while accepting Eodwine's oath (not rejecting is tantamount to accepting, by the way), she has presumed too much upon his mercy. Beside all that, if she has rolled, Saeryn, knowing all these things as one who grew up in the middle of this culture, her 'devilish grin' is very much out of character considering how you've described her so far. Or, it is in character and she is not what she has played herself to be. On the other hand....... if she has not "rolled in the hay" but merely romanced with this young man, then things are only a little embarrassing and the brother lord is still in the wrong, and if he knew, he's overreacting. Which is it?