WARNING - A LOT of reading. (Unixmad's reading preferred.)
I was pondering to myself a week ago, wondering the structure, culture,
and ethnicity of the Forest Kingdom. I found myself thinking of my past experience
as a general of the Celt in 2k1, and obviously it hit me - this could work.
And so i went crawling through debris on the internet, looking to find a scrap of
Information that could help me learn more about the Celt. And find i did.
For the full website,
click here .
Here are some excerpts.
II. SOCIAL STRUCTURE
The smallest unit in Celtic society was the FINE, a close, extended family
kinship group. The fine, not the individual, was what was important. Legally the
individual did not exist, except as a member of the fine and was responsible for his
set share of the fine's property and obligations.
The TUATH, a group which is most closely equivalent to the modern concept of
tribe or clan, could be made up of one or several fine and was led by the RI, or
king. Eligibility for leadership was based on blood relationship but was not
directly inherited. Any male member of the ri's DERBFINE, a kinship group extending
back five generations, was eligible to be chosen. The new ri would be selected by
the members of the tuath from among the eligible candidates. Exactly how such
selections were made is not known for certain although there are some unsubstantiated
opinions in this regard. We do know that the ri was required to be physically
unblemished and was expected to be generous in providing sumptuous feasts when
hosting guests, and these expectations would doubtless have been taken into account
by the warriors and elders when selecting a new ri.
The tuath was ruled by the ri, but not as an ultimate judge or law giver. His
role was principally in dealings outside the tuath and as a war leader. His
authority was held up and carried out by a council of nobles and assemblies of the
freemen which would be held annually, frequently in conjunction with religious
festivals. Treaties would be declared and discussed at these assemblies and the
nobles would then see that they were adhered to.
Yes, much fancy talk, i know. Moving on to the 'meat and potatoes'.
Within the tuath, society was basically divided into three classes: the
Nobility, composed of landowners and warriors; the Aes Dana, men of art and learning,
craftsmen, and included the druids; and the Commoners or Churls who owned no land but
were free not slaves. Slavery was sometimes practiced by the Celts, but their slaves
would have been war captives and other subjugated peoples.
So basically it's divided into three... well three classes, The Nobility,
The 'Aes Dana', the Research, smithing, entertainment etc. department, and
the Commoners. Dont stop reading now, this is where it gets interesting.
III. APPEARANCE, CLOTHING, AND CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
The Celts were a neat and clean people and are one of the cultures credited with
inventing soap. They took great pride in themselves and their physical appearance.
Obesity was considered a disgrace and fit, sleek bodies were admired.
The Celts were larger in stature than the Romans and generally had gold or red
blonde hair and ruddy complexions. The dominance of light colored hair could be at
least partially attributed to the bleaching effect of the lime they used as hair
dressing. The men commonly wore beards and/or trailing mustaches and long flowing
hair which was stiffened with lime for battle. The women also wore their hair long,
generally in one, two, or three braids which were sometimes decorated with beads.
Women warriors may have worn their hair loose into battle. They were fond of
personal decoration and wore a lot of jewelry.
VII. WARFARE
The Celts' principal weapons were the slashing sword and spear or javelin. Shields
were common and were made of wicker or wood, sometimes covered with leather.
Bronze or bronze covered shields were sometimes made for ceremonial or votive uses.
Body armor and helmets were not in common use although they were known. Helmets,
when worn, often had animal crests or horns and were made of bronze for the wealthy
warrior and perhaps leather for his less fortunate counterpart. Bows and slings were
sometimes used as well, but were not common.
Dont you all see the beauty in this? Everything i'm reading off is perfectly possible...
This type of kingdom is the personification of the Barbaric, yet honorable
class of a kingdom that Graal needed.
Read below. *copies and pastes again, last one*
Rank, position, and status within the nobility of the tuath was determined by
individual strength and skill. Perhaps a more insightful phrasing might be to say
that one's rank and position was based upon others perception of one's physical
prowess.
Boasting of one's achievements and victories in battle, as well as the
achievements and victories of one's ancestors, was an integral part of Celtic
society. Display of physical wealth, such as an abundance of gold and jewelry was
also very important. Celts were quick to take offense at the slightest hint of a
slur upon their honor or physical abilities and would contest, even unto death, to
defend their reputation. These differing aspects of the Celtic character can be seen
as various methods of building up and maintaining an image in the eyes of others.
This can work.
Now, the question is, who in graal would lead this kingdom?
The answer is not me. I am a lousy leader. I have been working with Brad on this
for a week or so now, and he seems to me like the ideal candidate, but it is not my decision.
Oh, one last thing - I
have spoken to Lamer (and in turn spoke to Lugie) about this and i
have their permission, so long as Lamer has some sort of influence within the kingdom.
Unix or Stefan, someone, please give me the word, and i will start cranking out ranks, etc.
(p.s.: Please speak and vote honestly, i need to know if this is a good idea or not.)
08-08-2002, 05:23 AM
...The Celt.
Those of you with some patience please read, those lacking it, ...well, dont know what to say. 
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