Social Organization (CBarbH)

Barbarian societies tend to be small, their social structures simple. The political systems, bureaucracies, and appointed officials common in the outworld are unknown. Barbarians have no guilds or craft organizations. Occupational stratification is rare, as most tasks—hunting, fighting, child rearing, weapon making—are shared by all.

Most barbarians recognize social ranks only in a general sense, with leaders making up the privileged class, slaves the lower class, and everyone else in between. Individuals achieve status by their sex and age; elders are held in higher esteem than adolescents, and except in matriarchal cultures, males tend to be valued more than females. Some societies assign ranks based on heredity; the closer ties an individual has to some legendary ancestor (the founder of the tribe, a great warrior, a powerful cleric), the higher his status.

The most common organizational unit is the band, a small group united by geography, ancestry, or religion. The size of a band varies, but typically consists of 20-40 members. Nomadic bands wander across a stretch of land in search of food, making camp at a particular location until they exhaust the food supply, then moving on to a more bountiful area. Bands often take their names from a geographic landmark of the region they frequent, calling themselves "The Desert People" or "The Sons of the River." Some barbarians consider themselves relatives of animals, and name their bands accordingly: "The Clan of the Wolf," "The Elephant Walkers," "Sisters of the Deer."

If several bands are drawn to an especially rich area—a river teeming with fish, a valley lush with fruit trees—they may unite to form a tribe. Initially, the bands retain their own leaders and mores. They agree to share the land and not attack one another, but otherwise keep to themselves. In time, however, the cultural distinctions begin to blur, a single leader emerges, and the tribe functions as a unified whole. If the food supply remains plentiful, the tribe may establish a permanent village.

A tribe derives strength and security from the stability of its families. A family consists not only of the core members—wife, husband, and children—but also any number of relatives, adopted children, and friends who don’t have blood relations of their own. Typically, the eldest family members care for the children and teach them basic skills, while the other adults hunt, and make clothes, and fashion weapons.

Usually, a tribe’s strongest member serves as the leader, though the position may be passed from father to son—or mother to daughter—to ensure continuity. In any case, a leader needs more than muscle to command respect. He must work hard, showing by example what he expects of others. He must also show empathy, demonstrating that he understands the personal hardships endured by his fellows. And above all, he must be wise, able to guide the community through troubled times. For these reasons, many tribes favor elders as leaders, as brute strength seldom compensates for a lack of insight and experience.

Though final authority rests with the leader, he may seek others for counsel, particularly heads of families and tribal clerics. In larger tribes, ritualists—dancers, fire makers, idol sculptors—may serve as liaisons between the leader and the rest of the community, carrying messages and relaying official pronouncements. The leader's immediate family—his wife, parents, siblings, and adult children—often function as surrogates, making decisions in the leader's absence. A few of the tribe's strongest and most trustworthy warriors may serve as the leader's personal bodyguards and help enforce his policies.

The leader's responsibilities depend on the needs of his people. If the tribe consists of healthy, self-reliant individuals, the leader may only have to oversee ceremonial rituals and make himself available to settle disputes. For a tribe plagued by famine, disease, or internal conflict, the leader probably has to assume a more active role. He may assign tasks, admonish the slovenly, and supervise the distribution of food. If resources are scarce, he may have to organize expeditions to distant lands or plan raids against neighboring villages. Most tribes have high expectations of their leaders. Leaders who consistently disappoint—by engaging in costly and futile wars, overharvesting the food supply, failing to sire offspring—may be exiled or executed.