++Disclaimer++
This article is not telling anyone how to run their house. I am not claiming to be an expert on how things were done in period or how they are done in the SCA. I myself am not of sufficient rank to have a household of my own. This is an attempt by me to find a way to organize a household in a manner that would fit my persona, while interacting within the confines of the SCA. Some titles have been changed to fit within that framework. If you have ideas on how I can improve this layout, feel free to comment down below.
Introduction
One of the interesting aspects of the SCA in general, and Trimaris in specific, is the prevalence of unofficial groups called households. Oftentimes, these groups are banded together under a Peer of some nature and are comprised of their students and associates. There are an innumerable amount of ways that these households are organized and presented. We have everything from groups of friends who camp together to strict military units. Sometimes they have a joint theme, like a company of crusaders or actors, and sometimes they are just people who enjoy each other’s company.
As you know, my persona is from the 10th C and is a Kievan Rus of Nordic descent. That being said, the hypothetical household that I am presenting here will be focused on a small clan led by a raider and his wife. To represent this, the house is split in half: the combatants and the non combatants. This is not to say that people can’t have interests that straddle the line, it's just easier to organize it in this fashion.
The Hersir
In the 10c
As the Viking age was starting to draw to a close, the freedom of individuals and minor landowners began to fade. Kings began to claim large areas of land and subjugate the people who had dwelled freely upon them. Those living in the Nordic lands at the time had two choices: join the king, or band together to fight the king. The Hersir on which I am basing my research and the SCA household would have been against the king.This sort of community in the 10c would have been comprised of a small town with some sort of minor fortifications, and then outlying family homes and compounds. We see here almost a sort of fealty in which minor landowners owe allegiance to a more powerful landowner. Unlike traditional fealty, I haven't found any evidence to say that the Thegns and Freemen of the area were beholden to the Hersir in anything except defense.Warriors during this time would often have two occupations: viking, and whatever they did during the non-raiding season. During the raiding season, this also meant that the township was run by those who stayed behind. This was not necessarily based on gender, as in recent years we have found more proof to show that women in the Viking Age were also formidable warriors. We also know that not every man was a member of the raiding teams.
From my current understanding, position on the raiding teams was determined by favour with the Hersir and skill as a warrior. There were only so many spots on the vessels.
Those that stayed behind had the twofold responsibility of maintaining the town as well as defending it in the event of any issues. This traveling is one of the reasons, I imagine, that
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| Living Viking Town at Fotevikens |
As there was no true formal army until after the start of the 11c in the Nordic lands, ranking for the army is difficult to determine. My research has shown that more than anything, it was determined by the amount of warriors you could bring to a battle, and that was determined by your family and landholdings. A Hersir, in addition to being a landowner, could muster around 100 troops.
Since the SCA functions as a much more formal —if voluntary— army, I have chosen to use ranks that are slightly out of period to represent the positions within the household.
SCA Organization
Ranks
Vikingar
Thegn: Squire to the Jarl who has been given permission to take his own Men at Arms
Huskarl: Men at Arms in the Ætt of the Thegn
Lindmaer: Shield Maidens, Female Men at arms of the Thegn
Heimþegar: Squire to the Jarl who has not yet been given permission to take their own Men at Arms. Non-Gender Specific
Drengir (sg Drengr): Men at Arms to the Jarl, Non-Gender Specific
Innangardar
Husfreya: Associate of the Greifynja, who is allowed to take their own students; male equivalent: Husfreyr.
Nemandi: Student of the Husfreya, Non-Gender Specific
Nemi: Associate of the Greifynja who has not been given the right to take their own students. Non-Gender Specific.
Ambatt: Handmaiden of the Greifynja; male equivalent: Skossveinn.
Other
Husmadr, Huskona: Someone who is associated with the house through a serious relationship with a house member.
Concept
In general, both branches of the house are organized in a similar fashion: the Peer and their associates laid out in a pyramid structure, with senior associates having students of their own. This structure allows associates to showcase their Peer Like Qualities (PLQs), which lets the leaders of the house get a better idea of how ready they are to be Peers in their own right.
I’ll not get into tactics and whatnot for the viking side of the house, as that will be a future post for when my ideas are actually being put to the test! For now, here’s an idea as to how the house would interact and do things at events.
Vikingar
Innangardr
For this side of the house, since it is based on the other peerages, it is best that relationships are mostly one-on-one or small groups. The pyramid structure allows for few students learning from a master of a given craft. It also allows the group to split large household projects up easily, for example improving the period presence of the household, or perhaps running an event as a household.
I hope you have found this exercise in research and hypothetical useful. This will be the first part of a series of posts on the topic. The next one will cover traditions like the Allthing and handling of disputes. If you already have a Norse household, or have ideas on how to do it let us know down in the comments. We would love to hear other ways to get it done and how it works for others.
Dictionary
Jarl: In period, this was the rank below the King. In countries such as Norway, there was typically only one Jarl. The earliest use I could find was the 10c, but the etymology of the word seems to date to Roman times. In the SCA, Jarl is the equivalent of a Count.
Hersir: In period, Hersir were landowners and raid leaders that would normally command around 100 warriors. In the SCA this is the equivalent of a Baron or Baroness.
Drott: In period, the leader of a Drottin (warband) of no more than 35 warriors. In the SCA, there is no direct equivalent, but this is the title I feel is closest to Knight. The SCA list of alternate titles has a version of this to be used for Lord, but it seems that a Drott was a commander and leader, whereas an SCA lord is only beginning on his path.
Thegn: Thegn was a title used to distinguish the highest-ranking servants of the Jarl. The word itself means literally “one who serves”. For the purposes of this organization, I think thegn is the perfect title for those squires in the household who have proven themselves worthy of having their own Men at Arm, which we will call Hurkalrs.
Huskarl: Huskarl, or Houseman, is one of the terms most commonly associated with Norse ranks, used to describe the closest servants to the Drott. The Huskarls were freemen who served under a commander willingly. In this house, they are the men who swear loyalty to the house and serve under a thegn.
Heimþegar: In period, heimþegar seems to be a title very close to huskarl. It means “those who receive gifts”. Norse lords were well known for their generosity with the men that serve them, and so those who were known for receiving gifts were their men. In this house, the heimþegar would be the squires who have not yet earned the right to have their own men. Respected men in their own right, but not yet leaders.
Drengir (sg Drengr): Drengr was a term used in period to signify warrior, or member of a ship's crew. It is the lowest rank within a Drottin. It means literally warrior
Greifynja: Many of the SCA alternate titles involve calling a woman “wife of”, “daughter of”, or similar. I decided to go with Greifynja because it’s a title that means Countess, but doesn’t automatically mean Wife of a Count. I am looking for better options, ideally something that shows that the Lady of the House is a force in her own right.
Forstander: I find this title to be close to Mistress or Master. It means principle, as in of first standing.
Husfreya: Husfreya literally translates to Housewoman. I liked the inclusion of the goddess Freya in the title to show that it is a woman of esteem.
Nemandi: word meaning “Student” from modern Icelandic
Nemi: word meaning “Trainee” from modern Icelandic
Ambatt: This is a term that is used for either a female thrall or a handmaid in period. I am using the context of handmaiden as in lady in waiting.
Maer, Karl: Maiden or Man
Husmadr, Huskona: Literally househusband or housewife.
Aett: Family or household
Innangardr: Often, this term is used in period and among Asatruar to mean people within your circle. It literally translates to “person within the town” or townsfolk.
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