Who can sell the cows?

[Zozotroll]

So you are just herding away and increase the cattle the clan trusted you with and just being a great herder.  But you decide you might want to adventure on the side, and would like that nifty sword you saw in the village.  But they are not really your coows to sell.  So who decides you can sell some of them?  Or perhaps trade.  Do you have to go to the clanchief?  Or do you have to go adventuring and foind a sword for yourself?    And what about things gained on an adventure, do you get to keep them, or do they go  into the clan treasury?

 

I am sure this is covered somewhere, I just dont know where it is, perhaps in a book I dont have yet.

[David Scott]

I think it’s more about getting your head around a Bronze Age bartering economy. You should already have a  sword, you are part of the militia. But suspect It runs more like this.

young roger - I’m thinking of goin’ adventuring with some of my mates

uncle bert - sounds good, but I’d sort out that crappy sword you use at the fyrd

young roger - yeah, I’ve seen a nice one down at mo the blacksmiths

uncle bert - take two of those young bullocks down to him along with your crappy sword and get that one, better still take haggler John with you, you might get a helm thrown in. (2x20L + 10 for the old sword, 50 for a broadsword, 10 for an open helm)

young roger - you say john can get the helm too?

uncle Bert - he’s not called haggler John for nothing

later

mother - that’s a hat and nice sword.

young roger - yeah, haggler John sorted it out for me with mo, only cost two bullocks.

mother - well done, can’t be having you die because of a crappy sword.

Young roger - do you think I could get some metal armour?

mother - we’re not made of cows, you can have leather like everyone else, better still get some while your off adventuring.

 

 

[Joerg]

Basically, if you want a sword, first you ask in your stead whether there is one you could take. That sword would be wielded by you, but remain the property of your stead.

Assuming your stead doesn't have any surplus sword (fairly likely), you go ask your clan chief whether your local redsmith can make you one. Since a sword is an item used in sacred rites, your chances aren't as bad as they would have been e.g. in Viking society.

If you can get it inside the clan, you will most likely have to give or do quite a bit in compensation - not necessarily to the redsmith, if the chief simply recompenses his needs from some other clan resource, but you need to provide something to fill up that gap in clan resources. Cattle would be fine, but the cattle you herd and breed are mostly the clan's property anyway, and used by the clan for payments like tribute or when buying new resources, or for sacrifices. There may be some cattle at your stead that the stead has a claim on rather than the clan, and you could get your steadmaster to pass on one or more of those to get your sword.

You can join a raid or cattle raid organized by your clan, and if you perform well, the leader of the raid or the chief may grant you one of these cattle for purchases or assign it to your stead. That means that you have the credit of one cow for any such purchases.

If you happen to find a sword or a nice piece of armor on that raid, this too goes to the leader of the raid or the sponsor (most likely the chief), who may then acknowledge your service to the clan and let you wield it. Or not, if there is someone else who is more worthy in the chief's eyes to be given a sword before you get one.

You may of course take your leave from the clan and go adventuring on your own, possibly joining a small warband. Again, in the warband the booty is distributed by the leader, according to the needs, and including the needs to feed the warband. It may happen that that sword is going to be sold to feed your warband.

But let's assume your warband was successful, and somehow you receive a sword that is yours to carry and even to keep after you part ways with your warband. Time to return to your clan.

Your clan will of course welcome you back if you haven't parted in anger or strife. But still, while you were away, lots of work that you could have done in your clan hasn't been done by you, and the clan expects you to make up for that by sharing some of your booty. Since you haven't had a leader from the clan, it will be you to decide what to share with the clan. Quite possibly that sword might be the one item sufficient to meet their expectations, so you might be obliged to give it to the clan.

And then, unless he is displeased by you and how you accounted yourself, the chief is more or less expected to return the sword to you in recognition of your endeavors, in the name of the clan, toast you, etc.

But that's not guaranteed.

[soltakss]

Altervatively, you go on a cattle raid, steal cattle from another clan, remove their brands and stick you own clan's brand on, or even your own stead's brand, sell the cows and buy that nice shiny sword yourself.

Not everything has to be gained through the clan.

[PhilHibbs]

3 hours ago, Zozotroll said:

So you are just herding away and increase the cattle the clan trusted you with and just being a great herder.  But you decide you might want to adventure on the side, and would like that nifty sword you saw in the village.  But they are not really your cows to sell.  So who decides you can sell some of them?  Or perhaps trade.  Do you have to go to the clan chief?  Or do you have to go adventuring and find a sword for yourself? And what about things gained on an adventure, do you get to keep them, or do they go  into the clan treasury?

Well, if the owner of the sword is a member of your clan, you aren't really stealing from the clan if you trade a cow for the sword. I think you would be expected to offer your best loot to the chief, he might well say "Thank you, look after it for me and use it well while you have it."