THE REINMAREN WOMAN

[Toffee 1147]

THE

REINMAREN WOMAN

 

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DIE REINMAREN FRAU | THE REINMAREN WOMAN

Issued by THE PRINCESS OF MINITZ

In the year of our Lord 1974

 

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ÖHNE UND TÖCHTER VON REINMAR,

 

MOST OF WHAT WE KNOW OF THE ANCIENT REINMAREN we have derived thirdhand. Our modern ancestors kept writings of what they discovered from runestones and archaeological evidence, but as Mankind fled successive continents, these primary sources have been lost to time. We are left only with historical research conducted by male scholars, who tend to view the evidence through the eyes of a man. 

 

Women have played an important role in Reinmaren society since before the days of Gelimar and Theoderic, yet the histories leave wives and daughters nameless, known only in relation to the men in their lives. No longer. Let the tales of the good and noble tribeswomen be told for all to hear.

 

ABLE OF ONTENTS

 

I. | Theoderic’s Wives

II. | Marriage Pacts

III. | Funerary Rites

IV. | The Oath of Macken

V. | Societal Roles

VI. | Shieldmaidens

VII. | Reinmaria

VIII. | The Modern Reinmaren Woman

 

I. THEODERIC’S WIVES

 

Theoderic is the legendary ancestor of the Barclay bloodline, a figure of such fame and song that he seems more myth than man. Yet we know from runic inscriptions and records of the unearthing of his burial mound that he was very much real. 

 

Labourers unearth the barrow housing the remains of Theoderic and his four wives.

 

There is little mention of them in scholarly writings, but the archaeological evidence shows that Theoderic had four wives, likely simultaneously, as this was before the word of the Lord GOD had spread throughout the land. Scholars did not enter the burial mound, for doing such would dishonour the dead, but the exterior of the barrow was engraved with extensive runes. Among them, five names. 

 

ᛏᚺᛖᛟᛞᛖᚱᛁᚲ | Theoderic

ᛒᚱᛁᚾᚺᛁᛚᛞᚱ | Brynhildr

ᛊᛁᚷᚱᛁᛞ | Sigrid

ᚨᛞᛖᛚᚺᛖᛁᛞ | Adelheid

ᚷᚢᛞᚱᚢᚾ | Gudrun

 

Of Theoderic’s four wives, chief among them was Brynhildr. She alone was permitted to wear the golden brooch of a chieftess while the other wives wore silver.1 While Sigrid, Adelheid, and Gudrun were protected by Theoderic’s hirdmen, Brynhildr had at least three of her own, as evidenced by the three spearheads found near the first mention of her name on the burial mound. These were likely from spears planted into the ground; six were found near Theoderic’s name, representing his six hirdmen.

 

Although Brynhildr was apparently afforded much authority within the tribe, she and Theoderic’s other wives were indisputably members of his household. His to defend, and his to punish. A stone rubbing of an ancient runestone reveals as much. The full text speaks of an altercation between Theoderic and a Gelimarid warrior, but the relevant passage has been loosely translated into the common tongue:

 

‘Fair and noble Sigrid! What a farce you have pulled! No faith nor virtue resides in your heart, for you have lain beyond your marriage bed. Your children, not of Theoderic’s blood, but of Gelimarid seed.’

 

‘Not so!’ Sigrid stood firm with eyes ablaze, defiant ‘gainst the baseless slander. ‘By all the gods, innocent am I! The children I bear, by Theoderic’s side, are of his lineage and his alone.’

 

Such slander, a dagger aimed at pride. A wound to honour most deep. Theoderic stood with words sharp as steel and honour as his guide. He faced the accusations and struck them down, for the honour of his wife was his, and to Theoderic’s honour no slander could belie.

 

From this we can see that it was Theoderic’s duty to uphold the honour of his wife, who had slanderous accusations made against her. But was the opposite also true? Was it the place of a chieftain’s wife to defend his honour in turn?

 

Another runestone speaks of a period where Brynhildr was chieftess of the tribe, wielding the full authority of Theoderic while he recovered from a grievous injury sustained in battle. Any besmirchment of his honour was defended by her swiftly and mercilessly. From the context, we are made to understand that this was only temporary, and once Theoderic recovered, he resumed the mantle of chieftainship with all of the powers and duties accompanying it. There is no other evidence that Brynhildr or any of his other wives openly defended his honour or the honour of his household, but it is possible that they did when Theoderic was not present.

 

II. MARRIAGE PACTS

 

Galswinthe and Amaleric are engaged to be wed while Amaleric’s brother, Alaric, lies on his funeral pyre.

 

According to the Theoderik Inscriptions, the much smaller clan of Chieftain Theoderic started a feud with the clans beneath Chieftain Gelimar over the rights of plunder.2 It was an intense feud, and bloody, with the blood-price paid thrice over. Theoderic’s own son, Alaric, was slain by a Gelimaric axe.3 At a peace summit, Gelimar and Theoderic agreed to end the feud and unite their tribes through the marriage of Gelimar’s daughter to Theoderic’s son. Thus, Galswinthe and Amaleric were wed, and their son Rodimar was trained to become chief of the overall tribe. It is through Rodimar that House Barclay traces its descent from the great chieftains Gelimar and Theoderic.

 

We can see the importance of marriage pacts in the modern era in Book Four, Chapter VIII.III of the Grand Kanun:

 

Marriage is the bond that binds the tribesman to the tribeswoman. Yet, marriage not only brings two people together, it is what binds tribe with tribe. The bond of marriage is the resolution of the blood debt, of feuds and revenge, of the binding of the Noble Tribes. Thus, it is only the bond between the noble tribesman and woman that, before the eyes of the Kanun, settles the blood feud of the Noble Tribe. Let no Reinmaren Chieftain be humiliated when for peace his daughter he offers, and the other Tribe gives him the new tribesman who owns no merit. So says the Kanun.

 

This section of the Kanun emphasises the importance of equality and mutual respect in marriage arrangements, particularly when the marriage is for the sake of peace and unity between tribes. There is an expectation that each tribe will offer a member of equal merit. “Merit” in this sense likely refers to desirable Reinmaren attributes such as honour, industriousness, and martial ability. It would dishonour a chieftain if an unworthy husband was selected for his daughter.

 

An unworthy suitor is bested by his Barclay bride-to-be.

 

Prowess in combat was considered particularly important within the Duchy of Reinmar, where it was common for a man to have to best his Barclay-born betrothed in single combat before he was deemed worthy of marriage.

 

Upon his abdication, Grand Prince Brandt I granted his daughter the Barony of Branthof within the lands of Minitz, with the stipulation that she enter into a matrilineal union.4 Lady Alice’s husband would bear her name, as would her children, or else the title would return to her brother, Grand Prince Ferdinand I. This sets a precedent for Reinmaren women receiving titles in their own right which cannot be usurped through the bonds of matrimony.

 

III. FUNERARY RITES

 

Galswinthe sits vigil at her husband’s funeral pyre.

 

Before the tribes converted to Canonism, it was believed that a deceased’s spirit entered the spirit realm rather than the Seven Skies. The spirit realm, a notoriously dangerous place filled with trickster spirits intent on misleading new entrants, required careful guidance in order for the deceased’s spirit to find peace. For this reason, a close female relative would sit vigil for three days and three nights beside the unlit funeral pyre in order to guide the deceased’s spirit safely to the spirit realm. 

 

The reason this role was reserved for a woman is because women were seen as doorways to the spirit realm. Capable of bearing children and bringing new life into the world, a woman could also safely lead a spirit into peaceful death.

 

This practice became less and less common after the tribes converted to Canonism, because souls can progress to the Seven Skies without the encumbrance of guardians or malevolent spirits. The tradition of funerary pyres remains, with the ashes of the deceased interred in a crypt rather than a burial mound.

 

IV. THE OATH OF MACKEN

 

Macken chose his bastard son Karl as the successor of the Mackensen tribe. Thus, the legitimate sons of Macken banded together to defeat their father and half-brother on the field of battle. Emerging victorious, the brothers chose Mathis Mackensen to succeed their father as the legitimate chieftain of the tribe. Unlike chieftains who had come before him, Mathis would swear fealty to his brothers and to the wider tribe, just as they swore fealty to him. This ancient Reinmaren custom was discovered and revitalised in 1822 by Duke Erich Barclay.5

 

The Oath of Macken symbolises the unity of a tribe and the inviolable bond between a chieftain and his tribesmen. It is an oath taken by an heir as he ascends to chieftainship. “Men”, in this sense, does not mean only the male members of a tribe, but all kith and kin of the heir.6 A female chief is exceedingly rare, with almost all recorded uses of “chieftess” used in reference to the wife of a chief. An exception to this is potentially Chieftess Theodegotha, who from the context of a recovered runestone appears to be the sole chieftess of her tribe.7 Duchess Johanna Barclay is the only Chieftess of the Reinmaren in history who is known to have performed the Oath of Macken.8

 

An artist’s depiction of Chieftess Theodegotha and her attendants.

 

Women have an important role in the Oath of Macken in the form of the Mother. The heir’s mother, his sister, or a close female friend serves as a symbolic mother of the clan throughout the ceremony, overseeing the bond between the tribesmen and the heir.9 She does this by passing a bowl of water and loaf of bread from the heir to the tribesmen; in this symbolic breaking of bread, the heir and the tribesmen become one. “A chief without a tribe is not a chief,” she intones.10 Duchess Josefina of Jerovitz fulfilled the role of the Mother during her son’s ceremony in 1942.11

 

V. SOCIETAL ROLES

 

A man and a woman harvest the wheat.

 

Thus far we have spoken of women in positions of honour and nobility; the wives and daughters of chiefs, and women who were chieftesses in their own right. What of the humble tribeswoman? The writings of Saint Johann state that “boys and girls of the same generation are raised together. They hunt together, train together, and complete their trials together.”12 Just as the Reinmaren make little distinction between socially stratified classes, there is little distinction between men and women when it comes to the roles they have in society and how they contribute to the wider tribe.

 

In his 1915 Traveler’s Guide, Duke Brandt of Minitz makes it clear that a core tradition is collective egalitarianism.13 Deeds matter, not social status or gender. Even Duke Leon I, in his (half-facetious) attempt at finding a wife, notes that his future bride-to-be is encouraged to pursue her own career.14

 

We know from runestones and other evidence that amongst the Reinmaren tribes, all work was given its due value no matter its nature.15 This implies a lack of traditionally masculine or feminine roles. Men and women equally tended to the fields, cared for the home, and raised their children in the traditional ways of the Reinmaren. “Men and women were not judged or respected based on the nature of the work, but instead based on the devotion and competence they showed at their respective occupation.”16 This is why the Trial of Humility has both men and women cull the wheat, mill the flour, and bake the pretzel.17

 

LEADERSHIP

 

Despite Reinmaren society being broadly egalitarian, ruling and leadership appears to have been reserved for the men. This is not through explicit barriers for women or lack of opportunity, but more so through societal expectation. In the Vidimar runestones, we learn that “the ruling male sons became thegns (lords). The female daughters became wives and shieldmaidens.”18 

 

Her Grace Johanna ‘the Maus’, Duchess of Reinmar.

 

Indeed, Duchess Johanna herself acknowledged that the only reason she inherited the Duchy of Reinmar and the title of Chieftess of the Reinmaren was because of the Karenina Accord.19 The Karenina Accord, which became the Karenina Law in 1861, pushed for absolute primogeniture.20 In other words, daughters now have the same rights of inheritance as sons. Thus, when Duchess Johanna’s elder brother perished during his Knight’s Quest, the mantle of Baroness of Sigradz and heir to the Duchy of Reinmar fell to her. Many members of House Barclay disagreed with the sentiment of the Karenina Law because of the Reinmaren tradition of selecting an heir rather than the title passing to the firstborn child. For example, Duke Brandt I of Minitz selected his thirdborn son Ferdinand as his heir (Grand Prince Ferdinand I). 

 

Duchess Johanna vowed that she would raise a son and heir and pass the mantle of Duke to him when he came of age, which she did.21 In her words, “I have always felt like a mouse scurrying around in a house that was never made for me.”22 This could be because the Duchy of Reinmar was thrust upon her due to her brother’s untimely death, or it could imply inhabiting the role of Duchess of Reinmar and Chieftess of the Reinmaren was hostile due to her gender.

 

Despite no explicit barriers, very few women have inhabited positions on the Herrenhaus (the Ducal Council of Minitz, now the Princely Council of Reinmar). Of note is Lady Eloisee Veiel, Herald to Duke Brandt I of Minitz.23 As well as being the first and only female Herald of Minitz, Lady Eloisee was also the first Head Physician.24 She was granted the Barony of Fernweh in recognition of her many years of service to the Duchy of Minitz.25 Annette von Theonus also served as the Head Steward at this same time.26 To date, there has never been a female Herrenmeister, Erstkanzler, Lawspeaker, Lord Bailiff, or Ritter-Kastellan.27 I intend to rectify this.

 

However, the Duchess of Minitz (and Grand Princess after the Duchy was elevated in 192828) had an unofficial but respected seat in the Herrenhaus at her husband’s side. See, for example, Duchess Henriette29 and Grand Princess Helena30 who were both summoned to the Herrenhaus alongside the sitting councillors. Consorts were also afforded their own coats of arms to be affixed to official documents, most notably seen on missives published by their respective courts.31 For more on the role of courts, see Chapter VIII. The Modern Reinmaren Woman.

 

VI. SHIELDMAIDENS

 

Shieldmaidens have existed through Waldenic history, long predating the Reinmaren people. See, for example, the tale of Kolvyk and Rovyk, the Half-Brother Twins.32 In this tale, the daughter of King Uldarik is noted as being a famed chariot-rider and archer who has been tested in battle. Note with interest that not once is she, or any woman, mentioned by name throughout this tale. We know her only by her relation to her father (Uldarik), her husband (Wilfervyk), and her former suitor who tricked and defiled her (Heomar). Despite being a warrior with a beauty so great she had dozens of suitors vying for her hand, she is left nameless in the annals of history. 

 

Runhild, the first Reinmaren shieldmaiden.

 

The origins of the shieldmaiden in Reinmaren culture can be traced through the tale of Runhild, though it is unclear if Runhild was a real woman or a figure of myth and legend. The tale unfolds as such:

 

In the chieftain’s longhouse during a feast, the chieftain suddenly perished from choking on a pheasant bone. He had not yet selected an heir to succeed him from his three sons, so his eldest son, Wulfgar, instructed his hirdmen to kill his brothers so that he could secure the chieftainship.

 

Runhild was the wife of the youngest brother, Leofric, and she helped her husband to get to safety by moving him from the feasthall to the chieftain’s rooms. It was the height of summer, so the hearth was cold and filled only with ash. When Wulfgar’s hirdmen forced their way into the room, one of them threw his spear, catching Leofric in the left shoulder. They ignored Runhild, thinking her only a weak woman, and that mistake meant their deaths. Runhild took the ash from the cold hearth and threw it into their eyes, blinding the hirdmen. Wrenching one of their swords from their grasp, Runhild slew all of the hirdmen in quick succession, thus saving the life of her husband.

 

His two older brothers having been killed in the bloodshed, Leofric became chieftain of the tribe. His first edict was to make his wife the foremost of his hirdmen, standing above all others in honour and prestige. The spear to the shoulder had crippled him, leaving him incapable of using his left arm, so Runhild became his shield both literally and metaphorically. The first Reinmaren shieldmaiden.

 

From the legacy of Runhild sprang a long line of women warriors, with Barclay-born women serving in the armies of their respective lieges.33 Within the lands of the Haenseman, several Barclay women have been knighted, though none ever rose to the position of Knight Paramount or Lord Marshal. There was Dame Karolina “the Giant” Barclay, who was knighted posthumously by Sigismund II for her heroic death in the Scyfling War.34 Princess Kamila of Muldav, Duchess of Reinmar, was also a Crow Knight.35 Dame Marie Vyronov (born Barclay), knighted by King Heinrik II, was cut down during the Nachezer War.36

 

Within the Grand Principality of Minitz, women have also continued the martial tradition. Grand Princess Helena of Formindon is a Holy Dame of the Order of St. Jude. Isolde and Mariola Sturmweber were made hirdwomen of Adalfriede, Princess of Minitz, in recognition of their loyalty and martial ability in 196337 and 196638 respectively. Isolde von Kanunsberg (as she is now known after her marriage to Adelmar von Kanunsberg in 1973) and Avya von Berkhoven hold the rank of Auserwal or Reinmar’s Chosen in the Host of St. Johann.

 

A young Reinmaren shieldmaiden.

 

A DYING TRADITION?

 

Undoubtedly, shieldmaidens are alive and well in Reinmaren society. However, there are concerning signs that modern-day Reinmar may be straying from the tribal traditions. This can be seen in amendments made to the Grand Kanun. Book Three, Chapter II, Section II.IV previously read as follows:

 

The Reinmaren Tribesmen of the realm, who shall be known as the Sons and Daughters of Minitz, shall be allowed to serve their motherland as her protector, and join Theoderic’s Warband as warriors.

 

However, the current wording of this section was changed by the Warrior’s Edict of 1908.39 It now reads:

 

The Reinmaren Tribesmen of the realm, who shall be known as the Sons and Daughters of Minitz, shall be required to serve in Theoderic’s Warband for a period of five years, known as a tour of service. Let women, children, and invalids be excused from this responsibility.

 

Note: Theoderic’s Warband is now the Host of St. Johann after the Duchy of Reinmar and Grand Principality of Minitz merged to form the Principality of Reinmar.

 

Women are undoubtedly allowed to serve in the army, but the Grand Kanun explicitly excuses women from needing to complete a tour of service. The wording of this section includes women in a category with children and invalids, who are incapable of fighting. Why? With a long and storied history of shieldmaidens tracing back to Runhild, predating even Gelimar and Theoderic, why should women not be called to defend the motherland with mandatory service? It cannot be argued that women must stay and contribute to the household, because we have seen that household duties have historically been shared equally between men and women ever since the days of Theoderic and Gelimar.

 

Finally, Book Three, Chapter II, Section VI.I makes it clear that women are eligible to become knights, but there have been no female knights in the history of Minitz or in the Principality of Reinmar.40

 

VII. REINMARIA

 

Reinmaria refers to the broad understanding of the Reinmaren people and culture. This can be seen in the missive released by Duke Brandt of Minitz announcing the funeral of his father.41 He writes “[I] call all Reinmaren tribesmen, throughout all lands overseen by our lady Reinmaria.” Reinmaria as a concept is often embodied as a woman.

 

Lady Reinmaria is a powerful symbol that is normally depicted in art and sculpture as a noble and strong woman wearing traditional Reinmaren garb like the tribesman’s cloak and carrying a shield and spear. The features of Lady Reinmaria convey a sense of strength, resilience, and dignity, reflecting the qualities embraced and embodied by all sons and daughters of Reinmar.

 

Adalfriede of Hexenwald, Princess of Minitz, depicted as Lady Reinmaria.

 

VIII. THE MODERN REINMAREN WOMAN

 

Her Ladyship Frederica Barclay, Baroness of Sigradz, Seneschal of the Heather Court.

 

Reinmaren women have a long and storied history. We are shieldmaidens, farmers, keepers of the hearth and home, symbols, leaders. Yet I see a disturbing trend towards meekness, especially in women who were born outlanders. Even in the tales found in The Saga of Ludrik Katzak, written only fifty years ago about true events, the only mention of women is mothers walking out of their doors with their children, while warriors departed from the training grounds.42 The implication here is that women in Ludrik Katzak’s time primarily cared for the children while the men were warriors.

 

Is this an oversight from the author, an incorrect presumption on my part, or are Reinmaren women behaving in such a way that allows us to be easily left out of the annals of history?

 

THE FEMININE WEAKNESS

 

Let us begin with The Tale of the Flowered Raider, a true event that occurred in 1917 in the Duchy of Minitz.43 Cyrano, an infamous Adrian mercenary, was captured and brought before the Chieftain of the Katzanik. The Chieftain had been dishonoured once before by Cyrano, and sought revenge by humiliating the mercenary. His chosen form of humiliation? To dress Cyrano in ladies’ clothes and parade him as the weak and effeminate ‘Flowered Raider’, deprived of his manhood and therefore his dignity.

 

This tale illustrates that, in order to damage Cyrano’s honour, he needed to be emasculated. By portraying him as a woman, he was stripped of his honour, implying that femininity is a sign of weakness and inferiority. This alone shows that, despite embracing egalitarianism as a core facet of Reinmaren culture, women are subconsciously viewed as lesser. 

 

An alternative interpretation of this tale is that Cyrano was dressed specifically in the frilly gowns of the Aaunic noblewoman, not in the robes of a Reinmaren tribeswoman, and therefore only outlander women are viewed as inferior to men. This interpretation seems weak given Book One, Chapter I.V of the Grand Kanun which reads:

 

The one that draws the blood of an unarmed woman or a child be it his own or not shall be judged by the Kanun as a sinner and a deviant, and shall undertake punishment through either a weregild, a flogging, the removal of a finger, or the branding of the right hand with a hot iron so that the world may know of their transgressions.

 

The punishments listed here are more serious than those listed in Chapter I.IV ON ASSAULT, which means that harming an unwarmed woman or child is considered a more serious offence than harming a man. This acknowledges that women and children are more vulnerable and therefore warrant special protection. Why is this so? If Reinmar is founded upon equality, why does the Grand Kanun differentiate punishments based on whether it was a man or woman who was assaulted? 

 

This law is incongruous with the idea of the Reinmaren shieldmaiden capable of defending herself and her household.

 

DUCAL AND PRINCELY COURTS

 

The perception of women in Reinmar has not been helped by the introduction of royal courts reminiscent of the Haenseman and the Aaunishman. We continue to embrace the life of the tribesman; what need have we for complicated court structures that keep women sequestered in the palace, divorced from the realities of daily life?

 

The Henriettan Beratung (Court of Henriette of Lewes, Grand Princess of Minitz) was designed to serve the Grand Princess in palatial matters and preserve her legacy.44 All of these positions were filled by women. This may seem like a boon, however, none of the functions of Grand Princess Henriette’s court upheld Reinmaren culture and traditions. This is not a surprise, considering Grand Princess Henriette was never blooded as a daughter of Reinmar. This means that, for all its good intentions, the Henriettan Beratung had very little effect on the lives of the people of Minitz. It served only to remove the women from wider society, thereby reducing their ability to influence the Grand Principality’s politics.

 

Grand Princess Helena of Formindon surrounded by the women of Minitz.

 

The Kanunsberg Council under Grand Princess Helena of Formindon held slightly more sway.45 While still being a private council of the Grand Princess, the Kanunsberg Council was focused on the citizenry of Minitz, including the hosting of events. Grand Princess Helena, in comparison to her predecessor, had been blooded as a daughter of Reinmar. While this council certainly distanced itself from the distinctly Aaunic court structure of the Henriettan Beratung, there is little evidence that the culture of Minitz was protected or upheld by the Kanunsberg Council.

 

Adalfriede of Hexenwald, Princess of Minitz, attended by Lady Gertrude Barclay and a maidservant.

 

In the creation of Der Heidehof (the Heather Court), I had a goal.46 I wanted to take a traditionally feminine institution and turn it into the beating heart of Reinmaren cultural traditions. It is through the initiatives of the Heather Court that the fields surrounding Kretzen were tilled and seeded.47 All tribesmen and burghers of Reinmar participated in Kretzenfest, with many unblooded completing their Trial of Humility through the communal harvest and pretzel-making held in the main square.48 The Studmaster Baldric von Vourkehardt, serving within the office of the Master of Horse and Hunt, has been charged with breeding fine Reinmaren steeds for the Host of St. Johann to ride into battle.

 

The Heather Court may seem feminine, considering it is named for a flower. But the heather plant can survive the harshest of winters and is the first to regrow after a wildfire. It is hearty and steadfast, as are the Reinmaren people. There are an equal number of men and women serving on the Heather Council, and all must be blooded sons and daughters of Reinmar in order to best uphold our sacred traditions. In naming the young Baroness of Sigradz as the Seneschal of the Heather Court, I have ensured she is properly trained in the upkeep of a royal court, so that when she inherits her father’s titles and becomes Princess in Reinmar and of Sutica, she will be well-placed to continue shaping the Der Heidehof into a bastion of Reinmaren culture, history, and tradition.

 

Finally, in comparison to the Henriettan Beratung and the Kanunsberg Council, which both had the equivalent of a Royal Guard, I have followed the Chieftess Brynhildr and taken two hirdmen as my own. They are sworn to me by blood and schwur, not through a courtly appointment.

 

Lady Gertrude Barclay learning the pianoforte within the court of her mother, Grand Princess Helena of Formindon.

 

THE SCOURGE OF THE UNBLOODED

 

Too often do we see a tribesman take on an outlander wife, only for her to take his name but remain an outlander. Unable to sit and be heard at Moot, unable to fight for the Host of St. Johann, unable to hold a position within the Heather Court, or earn a seat upon the Princely Herrenhaus. This reluctance to become a blooded daughter of Reinmar serves only to ensure our society continues to be dominated by men.

 

Hearken, all ye burghers and outlanders who wish to marry our men but spurn our traditions. You will grow no greater than you are in this moment without completing the Trials of the Stallion and participating in the Ritual of Blood. You will be voiceless, unbound, and undone. I urge you to become a blooded daughter of Reinmar and seize the opportunities that arise, whether you seek to become a shieldmaiden of old, further your political ambitions, or tend to the hearth and home.

 

I will oversee your trials personally, and in my role as the Princess of Minitz and a Reinmaren chieftess, I will ensure you claim the legacy of our ancestors. Remember their names, heed their stories.

 

 

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WER RASTET, DER ROSTET

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, ADALFRIEDE of HEXENWALD, PRINCESS OF MINITZ

 

 

References

1.  HRH Leon II and HL Frederica Barclay, The Fashions of the Reinmaren, Principality of Reinmar (1969).

2.  HG Erich I, The Legacy of the Reinmaren, “Chapter I: Genesis”, Duchy of Reinmar (1822).

3.  HG Erich I, The Legacy of the Reinmaren, “Chapter I: Genesis”, Duchy of Reinmar (1822).

4.  HSH Brandt I, The Reinmaren Gavelkind, Grand Principality of Minitz (1936).

5.  HG Erich I, The Legacy of the Reinmaren, “Chapter II: The Oath of Macken”, Duchy of Reinmar (1822).

6.  HG Erich I, The Legacy of the Reinmaren, “Chapter II: The Oath of Macken”, Duchy of Reinmar (1822).

7.  This writing is yet to be released.

8.  HPG Johanna I, The Tourney of Rozenfeld, Duchy of Reinmar (1889).

9.  HG Erich I, The Legacy of the Reinmaren, “Chapter II: The Oath of Macken”, Duchy of Reinmar (1822).

10.  HG Erich I, The Legacy of the Reinmaren, “Chapter II: The Oath of Macken”, Duchy of Reinmar (1822).

11.  HPG Manfred II, The Inauguration of Reinmar, Duchy of Reinmar (1941).

12.  HPG Johann I, The Legacy of the Reinmaren, “Chapter III: The Reinmaren Individual”, Duchy of Reinmar (1864).

13.  HG Brandt I, Traveler’s Guide to the Duchy of Minitz, Duchy of Minitz (1915).

14.  HG Leon I, Looking for Wife, Duchy of Minitz (1878).

15.  HPG Johann I, The Legacy of the Reinmaren, “Chapter III: The Reinmaren Individual”, Duchy of Reinmar (1864).

16.  HG Erich I, The Legacy of the Reinmaren, “Chapter I: Genesis”, Duchy of Reinmar (1822).

17.  HG Leon I, The Trials of the Stallion, Duchy of Minitz (1902).

18.  This writing is yet to be released.

19.  HPG Johanna I, The Inbetween, Duchy of Reinmar (1894).

20.  HRM Emma of Jerovitz, The Karenina Accord, Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska (1856); HE the Lord Palatine, The Karenina Law, Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska (1861).

21.  HPG Johanna I, The Inbetween, Duchy of Reinmar (1894).

22.  HPG Johanna I, The Inbetween, Duchy of Reinmar (1894).

23.  HG Brandt I, Summons to the Herzograt of Minitz, Duchy of Minitz (1928).

24.  HE Karl von Theonus, Establishment of the Physicians of Saint Johann, Duchy of Minitz (1915).

25.  HE Eloisee Veiel, The Princely Court of 1935, Grand Principality of Minitz (1935).

26.  HG Brandt I, Summons to the Herzograt of Minitz, Duchy of Minitz (1928).

27.  HG Leon I, The First Minitzian Roll of Arms, Duchy of Minitz (1914).

28.  HRM James I, Letters Patent for the Grand Principality of Minitz, Kingdom of Aaun (1928).

29.  HG Brandt I, Summons to the Herzograt of Minitz, Duchy of Minitz (1928).

30.  HSH Ferdinand I, Herrenhaus Meeting of 1947, Grand Principality of Minitz (1947).

31.  HG Leon I, The First Minitzian Roll of Arms, Duchy of Minitz (1914).

32.  Otto the Tarcharman, Kolvyk and Rovyk, the Half-Brother Twins, Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska (1762).

33.  HPG Johann I, The Legacy of the Reinmaren, “Chapter III: The Reinmaren Individual”, Duchy of Reinmar (1864).

34.  The Knights Table, The Knights Atlas of Haense, Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska (1863).

35.  HG Leon I, The First Minitzian Roll of Arms, Duchy of Minitz (1914).

36.  The Knights Table, The Knights Atlas of Haense, Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska (1863).

37.  HSH Adalfriede of Hexenwald, Chronicles of the Princess of Minitz Volume II, Grand Principality of Minitz (1965).

38.  HRH Adalfriede of Hexenwald, Chronicles of the Princess of Minitz Volume III, Principality of Reinmar (1968).

39.  Lawman Maxwell, The Warrior’s Edict, Duchy of Minitz (1908).

40.  HG Leon I, The Tome of Chivalry, Duchy of Minitz (1910).

41.  HG Brandt I, A Belated Farewell  , Duchy of Minitz (1919).

42.  HL Ludrik Katzak, The Saga of Ludrik Katzak: The Prophecy of Stars, Duchy of Minitz (1920).

43.  HL Ludrik Katzak, The Tale of the Flowered Raider, Duchy of Minitz (1917).

44.  HSH Henriette of Lewes, The Henriettan Beratung, Grand Principality of Minitz (1929).

45.  HSH Helena of Formindon, The Kanunsberg Council, Grand Principality of Minitz (1945).

46.  HRH Adalfriede of Hexenwald and HL Frederica Barclay, Der Heidehof, Principality of Reinmar (1968).

47.  HL Frederica Barclay, The Planting of the Fields, Principality of Reinmar (1969).

48.  HRH Adalfriede of Hexenwald and HL Frederica Barclay, The Beginning of the Second Kretzenfest, Principality of Reinmar (1970).

[Laeonathan 4024]

Spoiler

Based and germanpilled. I love how you included an own Germania. Really cool.

 

[TaytoTot 1170]

Annette von Theonus wishes that someone will finally spell her name right from the skies.

[marikandaperc 1176]

Helena of Formindon read the whole thing with interest

[sarahbarah 5030]

(beautiful work!! LOVE!)

[DahStalker 2858]

Spoiler

the citations got my heart pumping a lil bit. i might fangirl and passout

 

[crazedpudding 2139]

Frederica Barclay filled her copy of the study with annotations and questions written in the margins to ask Adalfriede later.

[MunaZaldrizoti 5766]

The Grand Maer of New Valdev, Ioanna Kortrevich, reads over this publication with a pleasant smile ever-present upon her face. She felt, perhaps, it was long overdue for similarly-extensive study of women to be conducted within her own adopted kingdom of Haense. Her respect and admiration for the Reinmaren princess had only grown.

 

Spoiler

 

[UnBaed 8985]

Rezalisa Kovachev was delighted to find herself with a copy of this publication, and was sure to tend it it well.

[GhostSHTR 1016]

Spoiler

OK, the amount of Citations and properly cited sources with the links and correct descriptions. This might just make me cry in joy, I can truly appreciate someone who is passionate about research even if it's just minecraft lore lmao

 

[Frostdrop1 877]

Felyska Weiss found herself resonating with the piece at her very roots, finding some spark of compassion for the distantly realted Waldenic folk. However, he admiration was short-lived as she scoffed to herself. "But how curious that their modern society is so crude! If only they truly cared for their women in this way today."

 

Spoiler

Great piece, great references. Very smooth, well done :)!

 

[Toffee 1147]

14 hours ago, TaytoTot said:

Annette von Theonus wishes that someone will finally spell her name right from the skies.

 

Upon a visit to Castle Vissingren, and seeing Annette's name spelled correctly on the paintings and the garden, Adalfriede made an amendment to her writing.

[Cheese 2341]

Esfir Artemisia stares at her own super secret unfinished Amador history project, and is filled with a new determination to finish it after reading the beautifully written Reinmaren one!

[argonian 12844]

"God I love women," states a Reinmaren who loves women, and God, of course.

[Frank_Dog 311]

Camilla Monika Falkner smiled at the writing from her home in Brabant. "I have never seen a writing so fitting of Reinmaren and other Waldenian women." She told her daughters and niece.