Re: Triad #71
TopazOwl

Wed Jan 27 14:13:06 1999
Searles wrote,*br*: Topaz,*br*:*br*: A franklin is an English term from the late Merdieval period *br*: tharmeans a freeholder of nonnoble birth but with extensive *br*: property.*br*:*br*: An "o/cthigern" is translated by the DIL as an *br*: inferior form of nobility.  The term is also used with *br*: "sub-chieftains."*br*:*br*: I'll let you run with this ball.*p*         This triad is a bit confusing at first glance because the first two items seem most advantageous for the son of a peasant -- it would seem that he is improving his lot in life. We have to know a bit about early Irish Law and society and consider why these particular things would be "unfortunate" for the son of a peasant. It is obviously a statement about status and where someone of a certain social status "belongs." All three have to do with stepping out of one's social class and how the people might feel about such a transgression. The fact that the first two legs of this triad are considered with the last leg (consorting with thieves) says it all! If one consorts with thieves, one is also considered a thief. Is it possible that a peasant marrying into the family of a free landholder and joining the retinue of a king (both being highly unlikely) could also be considered thievery, in that the peasant is going places he should never aspire to according to the rules of society?*br* *br*    The first, marrying into the family of a franklin (non-nemed free landholder, probably bóaire), would be seemingly advantageous in that he marries into land not previously held, raising his status. And while he would never actually inherit the land himself, any of his offspring would. However, Irish Law is quite clear about discouraging marriages of unequal status, especially where it concerns a man of lower status marrying a woman of higher status.*p*    The retinue of a king would most likely consist of his lords. They must always accompany him. Also, the king may substitute another to pay retribution for any crime he commits, in other words, he may substitute a "legal whipping boy," a man of low rank dependant on the king. In the event of wrongdoing by the king, the plaintiff distrains the property of the substitute. Possibly this peasant could become the substitute, and that would be unfortunate, because he would pay for the king's transgressions with his life, having no real property of his own.*p*      In both cases, the peasant would be moving onto the very bottom rung of each higher class, and could therefore actually be considered worse off than before as far as his standing in the circles he would then be travelling in.*p*     Consorting with thieves would be the very bottom rung of any part of society.*p*     In any event, the understanding here should be that a peasant aspiring to any of these situations would be disturbing the "natural order of the world," which could have dire consequences in the cosmos. *p*     On another level, I was thinking about Dumezil's three functions of  1.) the Sacred 2.) Physicial Force and 3.) Fertility, and the Ogham classes of Chieftain, Peasant, and Shrub, and it occurred to me that this particular triad (and probably many others) might fit the pattern. I can't quite synthesize it yet though; it's going to take more thought and study.*p*Leigh
Re: Triad #71
Searles
344
Tue Jan 26 16:31:10 1999