Rites of the Free People

The Rites of the Free people are a set of laws and dooms that date back to before the founding of Dale. They are commonly referred to as "the old ways," though since the destruction of Dale in T.A. 2770 most of the people of Wilderland no longer recognize them as the common law, instead taking note of the more codified laws of Laketown.

Please see The Old and the New for how a character might integrate these into their roleplay. 

The Dooms of Rank

Let it be known that above all is the Lord of the hold. 

The Ealdorman serves the Lord. 

A Hundredman serves the Ealdorman.

A Thane serves an Hundredman. 

A Huscarl serves a Thane. 

A Drengr serves a Huscarl. 

The Dooms of Loyalty

A Freeman is not burdened by oaths of loyalty save to himself. 

A Guildsman has sworn an oath to his guild or master. 

A Guardsman has sworn an oath to his Ealdorman.

An oathbreaker is a man without honor.

The Dooms of Violence 

If a man should furnish weapons against another, though no strife be done, let him make bot to the offended party with six silver. If great harm should befall he upon whom a weapon is furnished, let a bot of twenty silver be made. 

If a man should defend himself with a weapon against another who has struck him without one, let him make bot of three silver. If great harm should befall the other man, let a bot of ten silver be made. 

Of the weregild of a freeman, who has land, let it be one hundred coppers and ten lashes. If he has no land in the hold, let is be half. 

Of the weregild of a guildsman, who has land, let is be one hundred and fifty coppers and ten lashes. If he has no land in the hold, let it be half. 

Of the weregild of a guardsman, who has land, let it be two hundred coppers and fifteen lashes. If he has no land in the hold, let it be half. 

If a man should act unjustly, let him submit himself to justice, else he shall be declared outlaw. A man decreed outlaw may be slain by anyman without penalty. 

Of the weregild of a man publicly declared to be without honor, it is a third. 

Let it be known that if a man cannot pay his bot, then each silver will be flayed from him with a single lash. 

If a man aids another in slaying a man, let him also pay the weregild. 

If a man has paid his debt, and is slain in retribution, let the slayer pay twice that man's weregild. 

The Dooms of Death

Let a man be buried with his raiment, for the looter of the dead is a man without honor. If a man dies with a raiment of another, let it be returned. 

If a man dies, and his kin claims him, let them take what they will from him before he is buried. A son should wield his father's sword. 

If a man dies, and he has sons, let his wealth and land be divided equally between them. If he has only daughters, let his wealth and land be divided equally between them. If he has only a wife, and no heirs, let her receive his wealth and land. 

If a Lord should die, let his title pass only to his eldest son, but let the wealth and land be equally divided and the eldest's brothers swear fealty to him or else declare honorable war. 

If a man dies without kin or wife, let his land and wealth return to the Lord of the hold. 

The Dooms of Theft & Fidelity

The thief is without honor, and a man caught stealing shall pay a bot in equal value to the goods he stole, or ten lashes, whichever is greater. 

Only the impatient man takes on a debt, let not a Daleman become thrall to another, lest he cares not for his name. To be in another man's debt is to be his thrall. 

If a man should bring another to his Lord, and demand a debt owed, and it is found that such accusation was made maliciously and knowingly on false grounds, let him pay a bot equal to his weregild to the other man, and let him lose a finger. 

If a man should lie with another man's wife, let him pay his own weregild to her husband. Also let the husband claim blood from the offending man under the eyes of men in the Ealdorman's service. Should a wife lay with another woman's husband, let her punishment be the same. 

If a man should force himself upon a woman, let his bot be two hundred copper to be paid to the woman's family. Be it a second offense, let the bot be five hundred. Be it a third, let the man pay with his life. 

The liar is less than the worn sole of a boot, let a man's word be forward and reflect truth. 

The Dooms of Anwig

If a man is slighted by another man, let him declare Anwig. 

Let not Anwig be declared in jest nor for petty slights. The abuser of Anwig is without honor. To slay a man in Anwig without great cause is dishonorable. 

Let not a man who has a debt of a weregild or bot unpaid demand Anwig. 

When Anwig is declared, let the two men agree on time and place for the rite, and on arms and armor allowed, and other dooms. If the two men cannot agree on such, let a Thane or greater decree the terms. 

By tradition, Anwig is fought in a common place without armor with common arms. Let the strength of a man's heart, not his maille, determine the victor, lest it is agreed otherwise. 

Should a man great in age and weaker in body than a younger man be slighted and demand Anwig, he can request a champion to fight in his place. The other man may do the same. 

By tradition, Anwig for lesser trespasses is to the first yield, and he who falls on his knees pays half his weregild to his better. Let he who has fallen have his honor stained until his debt is paid.

For greater trespasses, Anwig is to death. Let the slain not be spoken ill of nor molested, for he has paid his weregild with his life.