skip.knox submitted a new blog post:
History for Fantasy Writers: Craft Guilds
by E.L. Skip Knox
Guilds have long been a popular device in fantasy writing. They are used all the time in gaming, where they serve as a place for the player to get missions and rewards. These guilds bear little resemblance to historical guilds, and that's fine. But can historical guilds provide writers with useful details?
I think they can.
A bit of context, first. This essay is specifically about craft guilds. I'll post another that concerns mercantile guilds, a rather different sort of organization. Though they have some points in common, a merchant guild offers some different avenues to explore.
The word guild covers a wide range of organizations, and of course there were different words in different languages, some of which are perhaps better translated as "association" or "brotherhood" (Zunft, compagnie). There were guilds that were little more than drinking clubs. But we'll stick with the mainstream for now, the guild centered on a particular economic activity.
Also, guilds don't really appear until the 12th century or so. Guilds were not a part of early medieval society. No Viking guilds. No Carolingian guilds.
The Basics
Despite a wide diversity, there are a few characteristics common to most guilds. Guilds had rules. These were written down, filed with the City Council, and backed up by public authority. Some of these guild charters were few and general while...
Continue reading the Original Blog Post.
History for Fantasy Writers: Craft Guilds
by E.L. Skip Knox
Guilds have long been a popular device in fantasy writing. They are used all the time in gaming, where they serve as a place for the player to get missions and rewards. These guilds bear little resemblance to historical guilds, and that's fine. But can historical guilds provide writers with useful details?
I think they can.
A bit of context, first. This essay is specifically about craft guilds. I'll post another that concerns mercantile guilds, a rather different sort of organization. Though they have some points in common, a merchant guild offers some different avenues to explore.
The word guild covers a wide range of organizations, and of course there were different words in different languages, some of which are perhaps better translated as "association" or "brotherhood" (Zunft, compagnie). There were guilds that were little more than drinking clubs. But we'll stick with the mainstream for now, the guild centered on a particular economic activity.
Also, guilds don't really appear until the 12th century or so. Guilds were not a part of early medieval society. No Viking guilds. No Carolingian guilds.
The Basics
Despite a wide diversity, there are a few characteristics common to most guilds. Guilds had rules. These were written down, filed with the City Council, and backed up by public authority. Some of these guild charters were few and general while...
Continue reading the Original Blog Post.