One Lāst Thing

The word “lāst” exists in Old English meaning “duty; due; obligation; vow” but, in the Fruman context, it is more specific. A Fruman’s lāst is their duty to their strȳnd*, especially to their hearth*.

The core component of the Frumcræft worldview is the hearth and the strȳnd. Life without the sense of belonging that being part of a community brings is a life in lack. The calendar of rituals and festivals that a strȳnd uses acts as a powerful way to reinforce the friþ* that keeps the strȳnd together, but it is something more immediate, more rooted in daily living, that really creates that all important community spirit.

All relationships have an element of reciprocity, and membership to the strȳnd is no different. As the strȳnd enriches the lives of each individual within it, so too do those individuals have a lāst to the strȳnd. By contributing to the strȳnd, every member gains all the benefits that being part of the community brings. If a member of the strȳnd is seen to continually not contribute, whilst taking, the other members will likely begin to resent them.

Resentment of this kind will ultimately lead to exclusion and, potentially, expulsion from the strȳnd. To be declared a wrecca* is the worst thing that can happen to a Fruman, for to be a wrecca is to be alone and apart from the strȳnd. It is, therefore, in the Fruman’s best interests to take their lāst seriously and to act in a way that acknowledges the worth of the strȳnd and of the hearth. What these actions are, precisely, will vary from strȳnd to strȳnd as no two strȳnds will have precisely the same interests or needs.

The combination of expectation and potential consequence is enough to encourage most to act in the right manner, if the basic desire to just be a worthy member of the strȳnd is not enough. It should be noted that this lāst extends only to the members of the strȳnd itself and in no way applies to those considered to be of the “out-group” (all those people not considered to be part of the strȳnd). This is not to say that acting well towards those of the out-group should be avoided or criticised; indeed, charity and hospitality are both very worthy attributes for a person to have. Rather, it simply acknowledges that there is no obligation to act in such a way to strangers.

Acting in a way that exceeds one’s lāst is a good way to improve one’s ārung* and acting in a way that is beneficial to those of the out-group improves one’s gefrain*. A welful gefrain can also be beneficial to the strȳnd as it may cause those of the out-group to consider the individual to be representative of the strȳnd as a whole, thus improving the group gefrain of the strȳnd.

Exceeding one’s lāst, then, is both welful to the strȳnd and to the individual alike. It enhances the daily lives of all it touches and reinforces the worth of friþ and the strȳnd, and of sibb* and the hearth.

*See the wordhoard for definitions.