Post by ShadowReine on Sept 27, 2008 23:26:59 GMT -5
Pern is an agrarian society, and a 'hold' is essentially a farm. A major hold under the auspices of a Lord Holder is more or less a small country.
The vast majority of Pernese are holders. Farmers. Small town people.
Holders value hard work and thrift. Holder women know their place, to manage the house and have children, although the wives and daughters of cotholders or smallholders often do work in the fields. The man is in charge, with the exception of widows who live at home and the rare case when a Lady Holds in her own right or as regent.
Marriageable age is fourteen, although children of poorer holders often do not wed before sixteen, eighteen, or even twenty, for financial and economic reasons. Marriages are about economics and land, not love...only the poor enjoy love matches.
Lord Holders sometimes practice polygamy, it is frowned upon, however, except in cases where the first wife proves barren. However, it is completely normal for a Lord Holder to have mistresses and even keep concubines. A Lord Holder who doesn't at least occasionally roll a cotholder's daughter or a drudge might be looked upon askance. Women, of course, are expected to remain faithful to their husbands.
Wealthy holders normally practice fostering...the sending of children to a different Hold for a period of time. To the Pernese, this is considered a normal part of a child's education, not any kind of abandonment, and is often intended to strengthen ties between holds. In any case, Lady Holders often have little to do with raising their own children...wet nurses and nannies do most of the work.
Younger sons might be bound over to a Craft if they show aptitude. Others may travel south to look for 'stakeholds'. Rarely, of course, a child may be Searched and taken by the Weyrs. Most holders consider this to be an honor to their bloodline.
Holds are built of stone or, in the case of the older major Holds, located within cave systems. Traditionally, all greenery is scoured from entrances and windows as a precaution against Thread. Major and larger minor holds also have watchriders assigned and often watchwhers, normally chained at the hold gates.
All holds are expected to provide ground crews during Fall.
A good portion of the population of any major Hold is the drudges. 'Drudge' in this case means 'servant', particularly a less skilled servant such as a cleaning woman. Some holds treat their drudges well. Others treat them much like slaves, including beatings and the holder's family expecting them to be sexually available. Generally, by all Pernese, drudges are assumed to be stupid. If they were intelligent, they would have a better job. 'Drudgework' thus means any tedious, manual labor, that an idiot could do.
The vast majority of Pernese are holders. Farmers. Small town people.
Holders value hard work and thrift. Holder women know their place, to manage the house and have children, although the wives and daughters of cotholders or smallholders often do work in the fields. The man is in charge, with the exception of widows who live at home and the rare case when a Lady Holds in her own right or as regent.
Marriageable age is fourteen, although children of poorer holders often do not wed before sixteen, eighteen, or even twenty, for financial and economic reasons. Marriages are about economics and land, not love...only the poor enjoy love matches.
Lord Holders sometimes practice polygamy, it is frowned upon, however, except in cases where the first wife proves barren. However, it is completely normal for a Lord Holder to have mistresses and even keep concubines. A Lord Holder who doesn't at least occasionally roll a cotholder's daughter or a drudge might be looked upon askance. Women, of course, are expected to remain faithful to their husbands.
Wealthy holders normally practice fostering...the sending of children to a different Hold for a period of time. To the Pernese, this is considered a normal part of a child's education, not any kind of abandonment, and is often intended to strengthen ties between holds. In any case, Lady Holders often have little to do with raising their own children...wet nurses and nannies do most of the work.
Younger sons might be bound over to a Craft if they show aptitude. Others may travel south to look for 'stakeholds'. Rarely, of course, a child may be Searched and taken by the Weyrs. Most holders consider this to be an honor to their bloodline.
Holds are built of stone or, in the case of the older major Holds, located within cave systems. Traditionally, all greenery is scoured from entrances and windows as a precaution against Thread. Major and larger minor holds also have watchriders assigned and often watchwhers, normally chained at the hold gates.
All holds are expected to provide ground crews during Fall.
A good portion of the population of any major Hold is the drudges. 'Drudge' in this case means 'servant', particularly a less skilled servant such as a cleaning woman. Some holds treat their drudges well. Others treat them much like slaves, including beatings and the holder's family expecting them to be sexually available. Generally, by all Pernese, drudges are assumed to be stupid. If they were intelligent, they would have a better job. 'Drudgework' thus means any tedious, manual labor, that an idiot could do.