RUNHILD'S EDICT

[Toffee 2843]

 

RUNHILD’S EDICT

 

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RUNHILDSEDIKT | RUNHILD’S EDICT

Issued by the PRINCESS OF MINITZ

In the year of our Lord 1987

 

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ÖHNE UND TÖCHTER VON REINMAR,

 

RUNHILD, THE LEGENDARY WARRIOR, wife and hirdwoman to Chieftain Leofric, was the first Reinmaren shieldmaiden. From her springs a long line of women warriors, yet our most sacred lawbook the Grand Kanun does not recognise this tradition in its current iteration. I touched on this in my writings of The Reinmaren Woman. 

 

Furthermore, the Grand Kanun provides harsher punishments for assault on women, belying the idea that Reinmaren women are shieldmaidens capable of raising arms in their own defence. Such laws must be amended in order to bring the Principality of Reinmar in line with the roots of equality that the Reinmaren culture is founded upon.

 

ON THE KRIEGSMACHT

 

Book Three, Chapter II, Section II.IV of the Grand Kanun deals with military service within Theoderic’s Warband (now, the Host of Saint Johann).

 

This section previously read:

 

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. 

 

This was changed by the Warrior’s Edict of 1908 to:

 

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. If the officers can conclude their participation has been adequate, they may be relegated to auxiliary forces in times of peace. In times of war, the Herzog may declare that auxiliary forces be called upon to resume their service.

 

The proposed amendment to Book Three, Chapter II, Section II.IV is for it to read as follows:

 

The Reinmaren Tribesmen of the realm, who shall be known as the Sons and Daughters of Reinmar, shall be required to serve in the Host of Saint Johann for a period of five years, known as a tour of service. Let children below the age of fourteen and invalids be excused from this responsibility. If the officers of the Host can conclude their participation has been adequate, they may be relegated to auxiliary forces in times of peace. In times of war, the Fürsten may declare that auxiliary forces be called upon to resume their service.

 

The Landtag voted in favour of this amendment during the Moot of 1977.

 

ON ASSAULT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

 

Book One, Chapter I.V of the Grand Kanun 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 proposed amendment is:

 

The one that draws the blood of an unarmed woman who is with child or a child below the age of fourteen, 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 Landtag voted in favour of this amendment during the Moot of 1977.

 

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WER RASTET, DER ROSTET

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, ADALFRIEDE of HEXENWALD, PRINCESS OF MINITZ, MARGRAVINE OF VANDERFELL, LADY VANDALORE