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Hospitality
Many Valgarin houses sport the Gebo-rune, the rune of hospitality,
somewhere between the roof and the front door, and not for decoration purposes
only. Yrsa demands to share one’s fire, roof, food and drink with those who are
traveling in the harsh land that her children call home. To deny a traveler
shelter during the winter months often means to give him into death’s hands, as
nights are cold in Valgard and human settlements are far spread. It is every
Valgarin’s duty to grant a traveler shelter for at least one night, and if it is
only a pile of straw and a woolen blanket in the stable, and not to let them
leave with empty stomach. Yrsa herself is being said to occasionally visit
homes, disguised as a weary traveler, and woe to those who fail to show her
hospitality. Yrsa curses them with seven years of bad luck, so people say, while
she blesses the households of those who show her kindness.
But Valgarin hospitality also has a more mundane reason: The average Valgarin
who tends to their farm or ranch and doesn’t travel a lot often has only their
family and clan members for company, especially in winter, and every distraction
is welcome, as are news from the world outside their village. A guest is invited
to share the family's meal and is expected to speak the prayer over the foods.
Usually after dinner everyone gathers around the fireplace to urge the guest to
tell a story or to question them about whatever news they may know. It is not
rare that after dinner neighbors and clan members of the host show up at their
house to join in the entertainment.
It is a special honor to host a traveling Völva at one’s home, and when a Völva
comes to a village it may even happen that the villagers squabble about who can
offer her the most worthy accommodation and thus receives the honor of having
her as their guest. Völva are treated with special respect that often even
borders on fear, and no-one would dare to bother the holy woman. For a Völva,
most any Valgarin will give up their bedroom and sleep at a less comfortable
place to grant her privacy, and if the house is small and the host is a single
male, it is customary that he moves to a neighbor's house for the duration of
her stay. Poor families may serve a week’s food in one evening to honor the
special guests. In return it is expected that the Völva bless every member of
the household, every room in the house, the stables and the fields individually.
What was said above counts for all Valgarin villages, be they Skoll, Ceiki, or
Dverge. The only exception to this is Valgard City, where people are more wary
of strangers , especially those of other races. Even in Valgard City a family
may open their doors to a traveler that seems trustworthy, but it is far more
common that travelers are expected to stay at the inn.
In late autumn, after harvest time but before the first snow, many Valgarins
travel to visit family and friends for a few days. This is a joyful time for
all, as the past year’s news are being told and thanks to the recent harvest
food in abundance is being enjoyed. It is customary that the guests bring gifts:
women usually bring home-made pies or mead, while men bring a small self-made
token depending on their profession.
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