The Churlish Race and People

[thesmellypocket 1841]

THE CHURLMEN
         
    "Haec plebs bibere vinum et commedere carnem sine fine amant. Suntne tanti magni Horberti?"     
    (This people love to drink wine and eat meat without ceasing. Are they not little more than big Hobbits?)
    -The Earliest Recorded Heartlander Reference to the Churls, A Merchant's Complaint. c.600.-
     
    "In piety unceasing, in archery unmatched, in merriment unbridled, but in victory insufferable."
    -An Auvergne Monk on the Churls, Upon Saint Godwin's Day, 1522.-
     
    "The hot-blooded Hengst and the lily-white Aethelflaed would go on to marry, and live happily-ever after. But, as mentioned before, Hengst, first King of the Churls, went down in history by a different name. He was called Aelfwine, which means Elf-Friend, and to this day the word of address for a ruler among the Churls is an Aelfwine, an Elf-Friend. All Churls alive today are said to be flowers borne of that noble root, descendants of that noble stock, and to this day they still sing the fame of their first parents...To this day the Churls, or Coerls, which is the Old Churlish word for farmer, have a special love of the Elves, whose magic, by God’s grace, saved their race from destruction."
    -A Judite Monk on the Story of the Churlmen, 1886. 

 

    Name   

 
    
THE CHURLMEN, Churls, or Ceorls, which is the Old Churlish word for farmer, go by many names. To themselves they are known as Churls, but they are also called Yeomen, Great Hobbits (Bearing no relation to that race, except that a Merchant commented on their eating habits, and it stuck), Elf-Friends, the Thee-Thous, How-Nows, Beseechers (These last three due to their dialect), and, as a stab at their rather...phonetic approach to spelling, they are sometimes slandered in Flexio texts as the Illiterati, or Illiterates, which is rather unfair.  They are a race whose early history is shrouded in saga, dwelling in various little towns called Burhs and villages called Hams. Due to their obscure origins, whether they are Highlanders or Heartlanders is actually a disputed question. However, when looking at their ancient language, Old Churlish, its similarity to Waldenian in terms of vocabulary would seem to demonstrate that they are, in the greater part, Highlanders in blood, with very considerable Heartlander inter-mixing. They are a race of yeoman farmers, fine archers, epic poem enjoyers, God fearers, myth embellishers, ale drinkers, pony riders and Psalm singers.
It is worth mentioning that there is also a sub-group of Wood Elves who ‘went native’ and embraced Churlish religion and culture. Many of these are some of the most revered and notable characters in Churlish history. They are called Fiergennesmen, as derived from the genitive Fiergennes (‘Of the wood’) and therefore they are called something like “Men of the Wood” or “Woodmen.” 

They hail from an island on the edges of the Known World, which, when Aeldin was more accessible, represented a halfway point toward the continents presently inhabited by the descendants and the great mysterious continent beyond. This island, known unimaginatively as Iegland (The Island), is also home to other peoples, notably Auvergnes, an isolationist Wood-Elf kingdom, and several Highlander peoples. 

History

“Aethelred cowered to save his country’s breath,
Aethelred found a meet reward in death.
Aelfwine disdained, and fear’d not the Dragon’s flame,
Aelfwine found himself a country, life; endless fame."

Origins: Era of the Elf-Stone (1-600)

Ancient Churlish history is obscure. For the first 200-or-so years of their existence, the only written account we have is that of an Elf called Gildas who spent considerable time among the early Churls and wrote an account of his experiences around the year 400. Gildas was probably the first Woodman. We also have many sagas about this mythical period, but the extent to which they embellish is disputed among writers. 
According to Gildas, the Churls were descended from a man called Offa and his companions, who were among the 7000 ‘brothers’ of Horen later mentioned in the Scroll of Gospel as being created by God. These men settled in Churland during the Tribal Era. Those companions became the patriarchs of families and the leaders of tribes, and, quite soon, the elders of ‘Hams’, or villages. Heartlander and Highlander settlers freely intermixed into the native population.  They remained in this scattered way for several generations, when a leader emerged.

Legend says that a dragon called Churlsbane attacked and threatened to wipe the Churlish race from the face of the earth. One of the village elders wanted to prostrate himself before the Dragon and worship him, and offered his only daughter in a sacrifice of praise to the beast. But one of his companions, his nephew Hengst, refused to go along with such a cowardly course of action. Aided by a wood Elf lady skilled in magic, who gave him an enchanted sword (called an Aelfsword by the Churls) and Aethelstan (Elf-stone), he was able, with the help of the daughter who had been offered, Aethelflaed, to slay the beast. That man was honoured by Man and Elf as ‘Aethelwine’, a name which means ‘Elf-friend’, and to this day a king or man of honour among the Churls is reckoned with that title. Aethelwine was the true father of the Churlish people, and Aethelflaed its true mother. It was they who invented many Churlish customs, wrote the first literature in Old Churlish, and established the first traditions of the Churlish religion.

 

“Heroic Elflede! great in martial fame,
A man in valour, woman though in name:
Thee warlike hosts, thee, nature too obey'd,
Conqu'ror o'er both, though born by sex a maid.
Chang'd be thy name, such honour triumphs bring.
A queen by title, but in deeds a king.
Dragons before the Churlish heroine quail'd:
Edmond himself to win such glory fail'd.”

At this point, Churlish society prospered and developed under the watchful eye of Aethelwine’s descendants. Elvish magic and Churlish bravery was a powerful combination, but, around the year 600, society began to corrupt and splinter. This first part of history is also called the ‘Era of the Elf-stone.’

 

The Pagan Era (600-900)

 

"I feel...thin. Sort of...streched, like butter scraped over too much bread." - A Churl describing the early effects of a magical item which was prolonging his life. 

In their fondness for the magic-loving Elves of the nearby forests, the Churls became addicted. They sought nothing but signs and wonders and would kill and murder for magical objects. These objects promised the prolonging of youth and everlasting life. But they gave no new life; merely stretched it out, like butter scraped over too much bread.  The religious rites were evil and often emotionally manipulative, focusing on working men up into a frenzy. Even the Aethelstone and Aelfsword, which of old had humbled Churlsbane, were lost in the chaos. Eventually, they abandoned the monotheism of their fathers and began to worship the gods of the Wood Elves in special groves. There is evidence, the Churls maintain today, that the Wood Elves of the Churlish forests were themselves originally, or had at least been at one time, monotheists. In any case, they turned to the general religion of their race and soon converted the Churls also. An evil sect, calling themselves the Secret Friends of the Gods, began to burn and pillage everywhere, murdering and destroying on the farcical pretext that bringing the land under human cultivation robbed the gods of the splendour of the forests. Only with the extermination of farmers and the destruction of farms, they said, could peace and balance be once more restored to the world. Modern persons will, of course, protest that this is a perfect perversion of the principles of that religion, and they are perfectly correct.

The Wood Elves who had ventured from the forest to help the Churls, who had been given a position of trust over these people, themselves became corrupt. Some of them started to rule over the Churls as ‘Aelfproestas’ or Elf-Priests. They exploited the Churls, keeping them in terror using the Secret Friends and taking any fruits of their labours. The royal family was little more than a set of puppets. Civilisation descended into barbarism, fettered only by usage at the pleasure of the tyrants. There was, in the truest sense, an anarcho-tyranny over the realm. The most terrible crimes of the Secret Friends were passed over. One who killed an elderly thrall some angry locals attempted to bring to justice. The Elf-Priest demanded him back; “Oh what a poor thing, what a terrible crime, what a wicked deed,” said the Elf-Priest “For this poor man’s langseax to be dirtied with the blood of animals.” Another supposed saying of the Aelfpriests: “There are no criminals, only friends or enemies of the gods.” Those who held to the Old Religion were systematically butchered.  Civility and freedom were vanquished and the name ‘Churl’ was associated only with evil. Oaths were mere words, and all had forgotten the name of Aelfwine.

All except one man.

The Restoration (900-918)

 

HERE STANDETH SAINTE RAEDWALD

KINGE AND HERO OF THE CHURYLES

PERMIT NOT OUR COUNTRIE NOR THE RAYCE OF MENNE TO WANTE OF SUCHE SOUYLES.

“Erat vir qui timens Dominum. Quis est hic, et laudabimus eum? Fecit enim miribilia in vita sua.” - “There was a man who feared the Lord. Who is he, and shall we praise him? For he hath done wonders in his life.” Such is the first written reference to a man known to history as Benedict, after the Flexio Benedictus, or The Blessed One. 

Around the year 900, this young man, then of little note, saw a man sell his own only daughter as a slave to the Elf-Priests (for slavery was not abolished among the Churls at this time) in exchange for some magical trinket - one that did not even work. Confused and disgusted, Benedict wandered into the wasted lands, intent on leaving behind his native country, if he might, having given up on her. He then had a chance and choice encounter that is described by Churls as a marvel of Providence. He met a young Elf in the wilds. 

Gazing sadly on a ruined townhouse, Benedict, seeing his pointy ears, was restrained only by fear from unleashing an act of racial revenge upon the lone and unguarded enemy. But enemy he was not. He was a Woodman, and, in fact, he was Gildas the Younger, son of that Gildas who had first written an history of the Churls. Benedict could see that he was weeping. More than weeping, he was praying. Benedict’s anger was disarmed by the man’s piteous appearance.
The two conversed, with raised guards at first, but with increasing familiarity. Gildas the Younger, himself around 500 years old, spoke to Benedict of the history of the Churls, and of their founder. Benedict was struck by the parallel of the tribal chieftain who tried to appease the dragon and the man who had sold his daughter to appease the Elf-priest. “Fain would I slay the dragon that now oppresses us! But how can I, a cowardly man, be Hengst to my people? For I see no other Men left to be such.” “My friend”, replied Gildas, “Did Hengst think himself a Hengst? No hero of old thought himself heroic. Rather, it is necessity which is the mother of heroism, and it is those who do not think themselves heroic but do what adversity requires that she crowns as her children, and endows with her virtues.” It was this conversation, reproduced a thousand thousand times in sagas and histories and dialogues, which bestirred Benedict onto the heroic quest of finding the Aelfsword and Aethelstan to slay the new dragon which enchained the hearts of Man and Elf. 

In a brief outline of history, it suffices to say he succeeded in that quest through many heroic feats, including being the first of the sons of Men to enter into the jealously-guarded Wood Elf kingdom which lay at the door step of the Churlish lands. Those Elves were offended and scandalised by the behaviour of their countrymen, and the covenant between Man and Elf was once again reforged - as once again was the Aelfsword of old. “To overcome his prejudice against Elvenkind,” writes a chronicler “is reputed to Benedict’s magnanimity, as that race it was that destroyed his country. But he realised that they too had saved her in former days, and that, whilst all of them had consented with one voice to the saving, but a sect of them were responsible for the destroying.”

“These are rebels, enemies of my race and yours”, said the Elven king. “Fight them.”

Benedict first returned to his home village, and, with the Aelfsword, slew the tyrant slave-merchant who styled himself Elf-Priest of that district. Immediately, those decent men that remained flocked around his banner, and his fame spread. Then came a brutal reprisal. Benedict was defeated at the Battle of Evesham and forced to give up any territory he had managed to capture. His allies were simply too few. He fled into the country, a fugitive and rogue fighting for his life every day. It was the lowest ebb. He was barely  able to establish a guerilla hideout in the marshes.

At that vital moment, when all seemed lost, Benedict found a new friend. Raedwald, king of the Churls, escaped from house arrest in his palace and was able to make contact with Benedict. Raedwald granted the official use of the potent symbols of royal authority to Benedict, and also called for the Fyrd - the national militia of all the free men of the land. From their marshy Burh they disseminated the message by every means available. But who would come?
The Fyrd was a name breathed in legends. The king had not exercised that right in centuries. In fact, the king had not issued any right whatever for centuries, let alone such an important one. Also, the Fyrd pertained only to free men - about half the population were slaves. There was every chance people would even think it was a joke! Even though King Raedwald was of the unshakable conclusion that no Men would come and they would fight and die that day, he remained fixed to his duty with an awesome fatalism. And, hoping against hope, they waited at the assembling-field, a place strangely called Malinsham, in the year 918. 

And the Men came, and what was once thought to echo in the pages of myth, coloured the annals of history.

The Monastic Revolution (920-1200)

 

"Nihil operi Dei praeponitur."

Needless to say, Benedict was victorious that day. The new Churlsbane had been slain. The Churls consider this the greatest victory ever won in the history of land warfare. So high was Benedict’s honour that, when the newly-restored Raedwald died in 920, the Witan or royal council offered the crown to him. Even members of the king’s family voted in his favour! Yet, Benedict chose a path that would immortalise him even more than had he been a greater king than Hengst the Aethelwine. He insisted on Raedwald’s son continuing the dynastic tradition of royal succession.

One day, Benedict’s supporters literally said “this is a god and not a man”, and began to insist on his own deification. This made Benedict realise that the Churls had no real guidance or principles. The religion of Aethelwine had long since vanished. Now, the tyranny of the Elf-Priests had gone also. The Churls felt a vacuum, and it was felt that they would embrace anything that could fill it. 

Benedict chose to live a monastic life, and, inspired by his example, young men followed him. Soon, young women established convents in the land. He lived a life filled with wonders and miracles, but, more strikingly, a virtuous one. Benedict left them a Regula or Rule that was full of practical wisdom on the living of this life. Above all, he insisted on a life of poverty, chastity and obedience, and, crucially, manual labour. 

This revolutionary idea seemed calculated to win the hearts of the Churls. In contrast to the Elfpriests, who scourged the land on the principle of hating cultivation and yet lived off its fats, the monks were men of work. Their disciplined manual work - that they contributed to the communities with their own hands - restored the glorious Churlish countryside of hedgerows and fields, and now church spires, too, became integral to the landscape. “This land is a land of monasteries' ', came the report of an Orenian traveller at the death of Benedict around the year 1000. The Churlish religion, that of Hengst, was once more established in the land, and not only this, it seemed to quickly become its root and cornerstone. 

Civilisation was restored, art and literature were once more made, and more regular relations with the Elves were maintained, to avoid such evils ever coming to the people again.

 Auvergne Renaissance (1200-1500) and Modern Period (1500-1900.)

 

Battle of Hengsborough (1204.)

GREAT has been the influence of the neighbouring Auvergnes on Churlish language, culture and civilisation, and this influence reached its peak in the period called the Auvergne Renaissance. First, there came, in the year 1200, a succession crisis when King Offa of Hengsborough and his two sons were all killed in a freak boating accident on their way to a foreign country. “No ship ever sailed that did bring such disaster upon mankind”, wrote one chronicler. 
Several claimants arose, and found battles and skirmishes. In the chaos, the King of Lisieux, a nearby Auvergne kingdom, invaded. He thought that the outdated Fyrd system of shield walls and boars’ snouts and other outdated tactics, combined with Churlish disunity, would make her an easy conquest. However, whilst Offa had died tragically, he had beforehand set in motion military reforms during his long reign which would prove the Lisonians had miscalculated gravely. 

The chief weapon of the Churls was now massed archery combined with heavy infantry and spearmen, and, at the Battle of Hengsborough (1204) a local army made up purely of the lower classes was able to withstand a force of Lisonian knights and mercenaries five times its number. The triumph of this humble ‘band of brothers’ against the pride of a much larger feudal nation is still a point of pride among Churls to this day. 

But the wise Lisonian king, Phillipe, realising that conquest by force was not such an easy option, turned to diplomacy. He was able to get the support of a claimant, and through that claimant was able to obtain the Aethelstan and Aelfsword of old. When he ‘placed the sacred objects in Our court for safe-keeping’ it was obvious to too few men, too late, that he himself coveted the crown. 

The king offered to arbitrate the struggle and restore peace to the realm. The war-weary populace agreed. When it became obvious that none of the claimants could reach a satisfactory compromise, the king presented himself as the only viable solution. The Witan eventually agreed that he was to marry the closest female relative of Offa still living, his daughter Osburh. The resulting issue would be recognised as the true offspring of Hengst, bringing Lisieux and Churland into direct, personal union. Phillipe had a separate coronation, and took a sacred coronation oath in Old Churlish to respect the rights and autonomy of the people. 

This proved to be a great partnership. The intervention of Lisonians is viewed favourably by most Churls today, who know that they defeated the Lisonians militarily, but chose freely to pledge allegiance to their king. And, in their eyes, he is their king also - the blood of Hengst flows through the veins of the Lisonian kings. This tradition continues, as intermarriage between the royalty and nobility of the two countries is commonplace. Indeed, the Churls are more loyal to the king than most of his own countrymen. The Lisonian king still takes a separate coronation oath in Old Churlish, and wields the potent symbols of Churlish legitimacy - the Aelfsword and Aethelstan among them. He is still also technically elected by the Witan, although this has become little more than a formality.  He also has a special dispensation from the Canonist Church to offer the ritual sacrifices prescribed by the Churlish religion. 

The union of the Churls with Lisonians would be the beginning of a happy period in their nation’s history. Particularly flourishing during this time were the arts, heavily patronised by a king eager to be viewed as a supporter of Churlish culture. The gradual influence of Auvergne culture would see Old Churlish, still used as a literary language, evolve in the vernacular to the Churlish that is so famous today. The monasteries, meanwhile, from their humble beginnings became sprawling centres of knowledge. But for the Known World, the greatest impact of the Auverginian Renaissance would be the arrival of the Churls themselves - as Churls, under the influence of Auverginian friends and in-laws, follow them to realms such as Aevos, and, for the first time, begin to branch out from their little island. 

 

Language

 

Much of Old Churlish literature is highly poetic, many monks writing wreams of poetry about elements of the liturgy. 

To be considered an educated man among the Churls, it is necessary to know three, arguably four, languages. Common (in the Churlish dialect), Old Churlish, Flexio and, among the nobility, Auvergne. Woodmen also speak Elvish - and some Churls themselves have learnt the language. The bi, tri or even quadrilingual nature of the Churlish upper class has made the Churls masters of linguistics. The most famous Churlish linguist is the Woodman palace official Aelfred of Malinsham, rumoured to be still alive in Aeldin. He is said to have taught languages to the Churlish royal family for centuries, and during his long life has mastered dozens of languages. Others say he embraced a monastic life and wrote a 100-volume ‘Historia Mundi’ and then translated it into every language in the Known World.

Old Churlish - The most ancient of the languages. There are some remote villages where it is still spoken, to the exclusion of any other language. It is said to be the language of Hengst and the first generations of Churlish tribesmen. It is the exact equivalent of Old English. A largely literary language, it is the stuff of saga, epic poetry, and the royal chronicles. Churlish nobles, clerics and learned men know it. Much of their royal ceremonial is in this language. Even Churls who do not know it are familiar with Churlish words relating to royalty, Elves, weapons, the weather, various expressions, and history. 

Churlish - The butt of many jibes against the Churls, considered by most linguists a dialect or variant of Common, and by a few fringe Churlish patriots as its own language. It resulted from a mixture of Old Churlish, Flexio, Common and Auvergne and is the result of centuries upon centuries of development. It reached its current form during the Auvergne Renaissance. It is the most commonly spoken language among the Churls, and, historically, was rarely used in literature, until the Auvergnes brought the printing press to the Churls. Recently, it is experiencing something of a literary golden age - much of what is rich and engrossing in Flexio, Old Churlish and Auvergne literature is turned into plays for which this form of Churlish has become famous.  It is equivalent to Early Modern or Shakespearean English, both in speech and spelling. Churlish is further sub-divided into two accents, sometimes considered dialects in themselves: ‘South’ Churlish is spoken with a West Country English dialect (see examples.) It must be noted that Churls have no set way of spelling, being isolated from such institutions as the Great Library and the Canonist Church. They tende to spelle thinges qywte phoeneticallie, often adding weirde 'e's' to the endes of their wordes. 

 

‘North’ Churlish is spoken with what is called today the ‘Black Country’ accent of the West Midlands. (See example.)

Given here is the conjugation of the present tense of ‘to be’ in Churlish:
1st person singular: I be
2nd person singular: Thou beest (Thou bist, in South Churlish Thee Bist)
3rd person singular: He beeth
1st plural: We be
2nd plural: Ye be
3rd plural: They be
‘To have’
I have
Thou hast
He hath
We have
You have
They have

Flexio - Flexio is the ecclesiastical language of the Churls, as well as the language of much of their literature. It was once the lingua franca between Man, Elf and Auvergne in Churland, and hence, it is still taught as a spoken language, despite its largely literary use. It is still spoken by Woodmen and by the Elves of the forest. It is generally the language of both science and religion. (Because monasteries are the centres of learning.) Also, philosophical treatises are written in this language. 

Auvergne - The language of the ‘Renaissance’ period, and thus, along with the vernacular, the language of much of the ‘new’ literature among the Churls. It is largely associated with romance and chivalry. Some Churls are not happy with this adoption of Auvergne romance, but many are thrilled with the idea of tournaments, heraldry, cavalry charges, princesses locked in towers, and so forth - the kind of crazes that have gripped mainstream Heartlander culture for centuries. Others have synthesised romance and saga in a new way. 

 Names

Among the lower classes, surnames are rare. People generally have Old Churlish names. Some Churlish immigrants to foreign lands accept surnames as a way to fit in with census data and so forth. In these cases, nicknames generally become surnames - Offa the Smith becomes Offa Smith, or Offa Smithson, for example. 

Names: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Old_English_given_names

Among the nobility, it is necessary to adopt surnames in order to compete with Auvergne competitors. They generally take the name of the place of origin - someone might be ‘Denewulf of Evesham’, for example. Some very noble Churls adopt Auverginian surnames, to the distaste of their countrymen!

A few Churls have adopted first names from Common and Auvergne, and monks sometimes take Flexio religious names, as Benedict did. Some have adopted Elvish names. The Elvish influence on Churlish culture can be seen in the Old Churlish names - names like ‘Aelfred’ (Elf-counsel.)

Many Woodmen have kept their Elvish names - others have adopted names from a variety of linguistic sources - Old Churlish, Flexio and Common.

Placenames - Placenames tend to be fairly literal and often from Old Churlish, but often they betray a deeper cultural influence. For example, places named after Saints and heroes, and with obvious Elvish inspiration (Malinsham) are not uncommon, and betray the deep influence of Elves on the Churls.

The basic unit of Churlish society is the Ham, or village. Many Hams grow, but retain their name. They also have a few fortified settlements called Burhs. This is from whence the suffix boro comes from, e.g. Hengstborough. There is also the Caester (Chester), or city, e.g. Witancaester. (Win-chester.)

Many Churlish expressions of every-day speech relate to Elves. Rain is called Aelfegan (Elf-tears), bread pudding is called Lembas, after the famous Elvish bread, an enchanted sword is called an Aelfsword, and it is highest mark of respect for a man to be called an Aethelwine (Elf-Friend), or Aelfred (Elf-counsel.)

 

Religion

"This lande be a lande of monasteryies."

The Churls are not, contrary to popular belief, Canonists. Not for the most part. Most of them, those who are not part of the Canonist minority, belong to the Ealdagas - a word which literally means ‘the olden days’ but which most translate as Religio Antiqua - The Antique Religion.

This religion, due to heavy similarities with Canonist aesthetics and practice, is confused with it, but differs from it in some ways. 

The Churls inherited a strict monotheism from their fellow Men. As mentioned before, the Wood Elves of the Churlish lands were also said to be monotheists, only later adopting the general religion of their race - and even then, they are considered different enough by some persons as to be their own religion. This is excluding the significant minority of Elves in the Iegland who have embraced the Ealdagas.  (More on Woodmen religion and culture to come.)

Ealdagas - the Antique Religion

After the people turned to dragon-worship, it was Hengst who restored monotheism to the Churls. Hengst was not only a hero-king of old: he was a prophet. His religion was re-established by Benedict, and hence got its name - Ealdagas - translated as Religio Antiqua by monks, and from thence to The Antique Religion. It is also called the Benedictine religion, but Churls do not like this, as it implies it originated with Benedict rather than Hengst.

Churls have something of a complex relationship with Canonism. They do not believe in any universally-binding divine revelation as such, nor do they consider the Canonist Church as a body to which all Men must belong. This is because their religion was already long established before Godfrey and Sigismund. They rather believe that God has inspired many Men in history to seek Him and to worship Him according to a covenant. They believe that the Canonists represent one covenant, and they their own - and that the former err in ascribing themselves a monopoly as Man’s religious body. Because of this view, Churls venerate Canonist Saints in some wise as they would their own, and some even partake in Canonist rites when no Churlish ones are available - as is the case in the Known World. 

Churls are bound by two covenants (trēowa, sing. trēow), or agreements between God and Man. The first is the Covenant of Hengst, also called the Royal Covenant. This stipulated the worship of God according to various ritual sacrifices as offered by the King-Priest figure (Hengst and his descendants.) The people, for their part, offer a spiritual sacrifice - the sacrifice of inward contrition for sins, of praise, and of righteousness. 

Later on, when all except the Woodmen had apostatised from this Covenant, the Lord sent Benedict and established a new covenant with him, called the Benedictine or Monastic Covenant. This bound the Churls to offer this Sacrifice of Praise in a more concrete way - by the ritual chanting of Psalms at certain hours. Benedict established eight times of prayer (called ‘hours’): Mattins (night vigils), Lauds (morning praises), Prime (6am), Terce (9am), Sext (12pm), Nones (3 pm), Vespers, also called Evensong (Early Evening) and Compline (Later evening/early night.) Monks must offer all of these hours, laymen only Lauds and Vespers, which they observe within their homes and by going to monasteries to join the monks. Because of this, all Churls know how to sing Judite Chant, and literate persons can read it. At Lauds and Vespers time, you would hear every household gather together and sing chants in Flexio, Churlish and Old Churlish. This discipline means Churls generally get up fairly early and go to bed early! This ‘Sacrifice of Praise’ is called ‘Divinum Officium’ - The Divine Work, more commonly The Divine Office. St. Benedict famously said: ‘Let nothing be preferred to the Divine Work.’

Lauds is centred on the ‘Benedicite’ Canticle, which calls on creation to bless its Maker. It is not uncommon for people to know it by heart - and, people often shorten it by saying ‘Benedicite’ (Short for 'benedicite omnia opera Domini, Domino')  as a blessing at meals, and in place of the other hours of prayer which they do not say. 

In order to make the Psalms and Hymns accessible to laymen, an anonymous Churl translated the texts into the vernacular, Churlish. These are sometimes chanted in the choral style that can be found in Anglican cathedrals. (As below.)

 

At the end of summer, Hengst’s covenant is celebrated with a great festival. It is celebrated in summer because it is the fairest time of year - but then shortly gives way to autumn and winter, showing how the ‘perpetual summer’ offered to the Churlish people was forsook for idolatry and witchcraft. At the start of spring, Benedict’s feast-day is celebrated, to show how God offered a new dawn to the Churls and has ended the winter of their most evil days. Also, the feasts of great Saints - Churlish, and often Canonist - are celebrated throughout the year. (More can come on Churlish Saints and heroes.)

The Churls observe the first day of the week as Holy Day (or holiday). They abstain from work on this day as part of the Royal Covenant. They play football - a game which involves getting a leather ball through the gate of an opposing village, and which can become quite bloody. 

Warfare

"Tak'st thou this shieylde, hardened by the blowes of thy fader's enemyies. Take it up to defende thy hamme and thy Shire, or not at all. Become thyself a warrior, or not at all. Be preparyed to looke deathe in the fayce, or call not thyselfe a Churlish Manne of the Fyrd."-Churlish translation of one of the things said At the Reception of the Shield. 

In the Churlish homeland, the backbone of their might was always the Fyrd, when the free men of the land would gather together to fight as a militia, usually in a shield wall. However, the Fyrd is now obsolete. Despite this, Churls in their own villages still gather and take part in drills, parades, historical reenactments, etc., and act as a local militia to slay beasts where necessary. The Churls are thus evidently very proud of their status as warriors, even though now few of them exercise it. 

A Churlish boy coming of age at 13 is given his father’s shield in an Old Churlish vigil by candlelight. He makes a vigil outside the house of his father, keeping watch through the night. This symbolises that he is now a Man, with the right and the duty to defend his people and his village from attack. For Churls, to be a Man is to be a warrior, and to have a shield is the mark of a free man, so they are often prized objects passed down through generations. In the morn, he is made to withstand twelve shots with the bow with his shield. He takes part in the drill that day with the others - a member of the shield wall!

In the late 12th century, King Offa realised that this ancient system needed to be adapted. But he knew better than to get rid of 11 centuries of tradition, and therefore preferred to build around it. He spent his entire reign propagating the use of the War Bow among the Churls. Churls can now pursue a life of adventure as Bowmen for the King, accompanying him on campaign. The finest archers of all are the Woodmen, having both Churlish steel and discipline, and Elvish skill. 

Other Churls have embraced knightly ranks and honours from the Auvergnes. King Philippe settled a number of these horse-loving Churls on the frontier of his kingdom, on wide and open plains, where they have proven as keen to remain on horseback as their homely cousins are as keen to remain on foot. Such men are called Ridan (Riders, singular Rida) Still, other Churls prefer to remain as Huscarls (Housecarls), fighting on foot in the shield wall or protecting the archers. These Footbound Churls even go as far as to disapprove of the uses of horses in war entirely, seeing them purely as made for racing! More could be written about the Ridan. 

A trait that each Churlish warrior is supposed to possess is a kind of grim fatalism. This was inherited from King Raedwald, the victor-king at Malinsham and the restorer of the Fyrd. Many Men became obsessed with control, power, and the prolongation of their earthly life - the kind of powers that the magical objects gave them. They were unwilling to simply lay down their lives and let nature take its course. Even good Men were corrupted by their desire to do good, and became the kind of busybodies who would render Men’s lives miserable. But Raedwald embraced the inevitability of death, and, even after being convinced of defeat, did not fall into despair, content that he could only do what was his power and duty as king. Thus Churlish warriors cry “death!” They embrace the uncertainty of death as the necessary portal to the Skies; the ultimate act of trust in the Living God and love to one’s brethren is to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Ultimately, Raedwald’s honourable action was rewarded against any hope he himself could devise; and thus the Churlish warrior must do his duty even when all seems lost, for there is a Providence in this world, and virtue does not go unnoticed or without purpose. 

Cuisine
Churlish cuisine is shaped, above all, by religious practice. Churls tend to fast prior to Lauds and the Priestly sacrifices that are offered with it. Thus, the first meal of the day is called Break-fast, for it is when this fast is broken. Breakfast is regarded as the finest part of the day, and is made up of small parts that have slowly accumulated to take its present form. The Churlish breakfast consists of bacon, gammon, fried eggs, beans, sausages, cooked tomatoes (Fruit and vegetables are often cooked, according to one Churlish author ‘'Beware of green sallettes and rawe fruytes for they wyll make your soverayne seke'), and a country delicacy called black pudding, usually made with pork blood. 
Dinner tends to consist of a great stew called pottage. Other Churlish foods include shepherd’s pie and bread pudding (called Lembas.) Another more modern form of nourishment is peppermint confection which tends to be called 'White Lembas.' It contains massive amounts of sugar, and is used by pilgrims and marching soldiers as a refreshment. 

 

"Oh, it is Lembas indeed!"-Report from an Elven traveller. 

On holidays, families tend to place a large cut of meat in the oven before Lauds. When they return, they tend to enjoy a mighty meal called the Holieday Roaste. 

 

Monks often brew beer, so that the Churls are famous for their ales. The Churlish immigrants to the Known World tend to have a particular obsession for continually drinking tea, which some have said is some kind of genetic trait.

Society and Governance

"Oh, how sadde and ignoble thatte foren facions do prevaile upon the lande, in playce of that owre faders wore!"

Since the Auvergnes abolished slavery in Churlish society under Canonist influence, the Churls have followed a feudal structure, albeit with some distinct characteristics. 
The highest social class consists of the Earls and Thegns, advisors of the king who own large areas of land. They are the rulers of Shires or counties. Earls are admitted to the Witan and elect the new monarch, although this is now a formality in the basically hereditary tradition of Churlish monarchy. 

Certain monastics, especially Abbots (but not Abbesses) are appointed Priests by the king. These are anointed to offer sacrifice according to the prescriptions of the Royal Covenant in a particular locality. 
Under the Thegns are the Huscarls, roughly the equivalent of a knightly or gentry class. These men attain their status by affording the best armour and weapons and undertake elite military training. Most Woodmen, although they are archers, are considered Huscarls by class due to the high levels of education and respect they have, meaning that they outrank most Churls in social status but are not generally at the top of their society. 

The bulk of Churls are simply called Churls. That means farmer - the free and prosperous class of ‘yeomen farmers’ that also form the bulk of the Fyrd. Many, however, have become educated or work according to a skilled profession. The majority, though, remain simple farmers in the countryside.

An underclass has emerged in Churlish society. The Thrall or slave-class, having been abolished, have not been able to enjoy the full and true status as Churls. The Auvergnes originally wanted to simply repurpose their own institution of serfdom, but the ex-Thralls cast off this burden in a series of short but bloody revolts. In the end, although officially Churls, an underclass of non-landowing ex-Thralls with little security and few prospects lingers at the bottom of society, forming around 15% of the population. 

Churlish society is Patriarchal. Virtually all political power, with notable exceptions, is exercised through and by men. When women do influence great events, as they often have, it tends to be as the wives, mothers and daughters of the great men, or as abbesses of mighty houses. Churlish religion teaches that ‘The father is the head of the household, whilst the mother is its heart’, meaning that woman occupies a submissive, but not unimportant, role in household affairs. Man is also the head of the family as a religious unit, and Men alone offer ritual sacrifice as Priests. Ideas of chivalry and courtly love have also given women a more privileged position in society, as men, perhaps for the first time in Churlish history, put women 'on a pedestal' and seek to do things for them. Women are not called up for the Fyrd. 

Note on Relations with Other Cultures

 

Churls tend to have a very high regard for Elves, especially Wood Elves. This may not have been the case, had not Benedict of old taught the Churls to forgive the trespasses inflicted against them. They also tend to have both a friendship and a rivalry with the Auvergne peoples, since historically they have been enemies but now for 700 years have shared a monarch and have fought alongside each other in wars. Most Churls came to the Known World as retainers, servants and knightly companions of Auvergne settlers. Now the hostilities of old are reduced to friendly banter, although some Auvergne noblemen still look down upon the Churls as a savage and ignoble race speaking an antiquated and barely comprehensible peasant dialect. These bigots tend to be few, fortunately. On the other hand, a few Churls only speak Old Churlish and avoid Auvergne literature and culture like the plague!

 

With most other races the Churls tend to be of a neutral disposition, being little known to them, and in turn knowing them little. Of these unknown races, many take a cautious approach, especially towards those bigger than they are, such as Uruks. 

 

Sometimes the Churls can clash with Men. Their liking of the Elves can cause tension with their fellow sons of Horen because of the prejudice that some Men have towards Elves. Some Men see the Churls as a kind of “Fifth Column” - the fondness of the Elvish race they see as a comprising factor. 
 

[Nowak 877]

{Anglo lore so great, I cant wait to be Uhtred of Bebbanburg}

[Malins Welcome 739]

Cool lore, great work

[thesmellypocket 1841]

8 hours ago, Pork said:

{Anglo lore so great, I cant wait to be Uhtred of Bebbanburg}

[JoanOfArc 4586]

pretty based smelly