The Bloody Bears on the other hand knowingly and willfully conspired as a clan to violate their own codes of warrior honor to prevent a former female thrall from becoming their queen. And they did so to protect a sexist, classist, and xenophobic status quo.
not sure if that destroyed their reputation and just ensured that all the sexists classist and xenophobes from the other 2 clans and probably the outsiders as well will be knocking on the BB door to be accepted!
Not sure you know much about the 10th and 11th century Scandinavian history but.... none of the things you just pointed out would be a negative for 95% of the population and at least 2 of them would be a plus...
the other 2 clans are now ruled by bitches... sexy bitches but still bitches....
Also how is it xenophobic if their new ruler is actually a "Spaniard" , fuck at least Sonya was a Scandinavian, so... xenophobic where? Also in those centuries class meant nothing, you either acquired by your own means or you had no class!
we are talking about a raiding society... inheritance means shit if you can´t protect what you inherited and unworthy people will sooner find themselves with a knife on their back or an ax in their forehead before they get to enjoy un earned wealth or status!
as for sexist... we see mathilda lizgard yrsa Sonya and so forth wielding weapons so no woman that shows capacity is bared from a position, even Astrja is a blacksmith..., the BB did not put into question Sonya warrior skills or her logistic skills, what they put into question was her leadership skills and loyalty thus they called for a trial by combat to see the smarted leader emerge... and the smartest leader did emerge, the one who can create alliances and plan in advance!
the skills to be the right hand of the leader are not the same skills required to be the leader or at least an effective one!
so please do not apply 21st century morality to 11th century cultures!
as geo politics so well explains, geography climate technology and culture shape far more the leaders then what the leaders can ever hope to shape their societies or lands
I'm aware of Scandanavian history. I just look at this story as more a fictional fantasy rather than realistic history. And the BBs clearly violated their own warrior codes to make sure that Sonja lost. And Sonja had an alliance with the MC, and even Astraja of the White Wolves supported her. These actions by the BBs were xenophobic in the sense that they didn't want someone who wasn't native born to their clan to become the leader of it. And this was despite the fact that Sonja did everything to adapt, assimilate, and succeed under the clan codes of warrior conduct. As for these clans being a raider society, the only other clan that supports raiding, outside of the Bloody Bears, is the Dark Ravens. And they only approve of it as a last resort.
what warrior code did they violated? their warrior code means the best warrior for the job! there is no "inheritance" rights to leadership in the BB`s , even if there was, i have put forth an argument that Candrid is actually´s Ragnar daughter so...
Sonjia as an alliance with the MC if the MC decides to help her, if not, she was not smart enough to prevent from being betrayed (thus the knife in the back i refered to earlier) if she can not call upon 1 or 2 loyalists to help her from everyone ganging up on her... she is not strong enough to lead!
Everyone knew Sonjia was the best warrior so ofc small alliances would form to take her out 1st, as a leader to be, she should have been able to plan ahead, when she went into the circle with an already defeated mind set... she is not leadership material when it maters!
Astrja of the white wolves is not a member of the BB, her intervention meant the BB would be enthralled to the WW if she retained her leadership role, or at least honor bound!
As for the WW not being raiders... they where the 2nd greatest group in the only raid the MC participated, they equipped and armed the raiders.
the WW are more pragmatic, they prefer to make the profit in 10 years of bartering and trading over 1 raid that will cost men and the treasure gained would be uncertain... however if the objective of the raid is a sure win and not an uncertain win... oh they will raid to their hearts contempt!
so if the raid is to destroy a trading competitor or to open up new trade links or acquire productive spots of land or see?
so WW appear to be less raid prone because they are risk averse, they do not gamble with what might cost them more then what they hope to gain in 5-10 years of trading, they are capitalists after all!
also the MC who in effect is now oficially the leader of the BB is not even a scandinavian... so xenophobes where?
cause the MC for sure was not born in Scandinavia much less in that specific village or that specific clan!
Also the last resort of the dark ravens for raiding is quite funny, considering that more then 50% of all the outsiders or the banished one or whatever they are called are former dark ravens... they force everyone to work, the BB`s keep their women and children protected without the need to do heavy labour unless they must or show a predisposition the WW are even less prone to enslave everyone for the common good by forcing everyone to work...
So the dark ravens only raid when they must and yet they are probably the ones who need to raid the most, the BB`s can probably live off hunting and the WW from farming and trading but since the DR refuse to trade or reward the most productive people they are always lacking, i mean fuck they even let their milk provider run dry ffs, they kick out people all the time, they enslave their population forcing them to work even if their productivity is negative (and yes that exists!) and since they do not trade a small scarcity becomes a big problem!
Even their talk about buying milk from the WW calling them greedy ...
the DR do not raid more cause they can´t, they are not rich or strong enough to be able to it sucefully and they are the ones who need it the most to compensate for their stupid social organisation that wastes the resources of their most productive by not rewarding them properly
and i will shut up... but you can guess i am not a great fan of the allegory about the social organisation they represent!
Stupidly, its under the clan or even tribal numbers that such a social organisation should be able to work at its finest...