Nobility of South Ottonia: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
(Created page with "The '''nobility of South Ottonia''' are the individuals and families, as recognized by the Storkeneg or Storkenegyn of Ottonia th...")
 
 
(4 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 22: Line 22:


==Nobility As Government Officials==
==Nobility As Government Officials==
As has previously been indicated, to a large extent the government, social elite, and economic elite of [[United Kingdom of Ottonia|South Ottonia]] have historically been one and the same, and this is reflected in the way the role of the nobility was codified in South Ottonia's Charter.
While South Ottonia was a constitutional monarchy at the national level, it was distinguished from many other constitutional monarchies in also replicating this structure at lower levels of government, where the Kingdom-level domains (Onneria & Staalmark), the provincial-level domains, county- and municipality-level domains almost all had their own hereditary executives.
Similarly, earning a royal commission into the Royal Civil Service Bureau, Royal Armed Forces, or being elected or appointed to the [[Ottonian Senate]] comes with enrollment into, at minimum, the knightly ranks of the nobility. Socially, this provided the function of coopting talented, promising, or influential individuals into the fixed power structure of South Ottonia, although there were still some notable exceptions (significantly, the rate of ennobling among those in the RCSB on Draakur was much lower than on the mainland, with perhaps predictable consequences.


==Rights and Privileges==
==Rights and Privileges==
Under the South Ottonian regimen, the nobility, besides enjoying special honors and social prestige, also receieved more tangible benefits. This included preference under the law, in admission to universities, in hiring, housing, and other domains, as well as guaranteed incomes based on rank.


==Duties==
==Duties==


==List of Ottonian Noble Houses==
==List of Ottonian Noble Houses==
Below is a list of all Ottonian Noble Houses of Comital rank or above, plus certain noteworthy houses of Baronial rank.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! House Name !! House Rank !! Coat of Arms !! Seat !! Head of Family !! Notes
|-
| [[House of Sproek-Kristhulm|Sproek-Kristhulm]] || High Royal || --- || [[Wyllemspurt]]<br>[[Draakur|Haefeld]] || [[Rodrik I of Ottonia|Storkeneg-Emeritus Rodrik]] || Formed by the dynastic union of the Staalmarker House of Sproek and Onnerian House of Kristhulm.
|-
| [[House of Heligsburg|Heligsburg]] || Royal || --- || [[Onneria City|Onneria]] || [[Theodurik, Prince of Onneria|Keneg Theodurik]] || Cadet branch of the Kristhulms.
|-
| [[House of Trynt|Trynt]] || Royal || --- || [[Staalburg]] || [[Adolfus, Prince of Staalmark|Keneg Adolphus]] || Cadet branch of the House of Sproek.
|-
| [[House of Romm|Romm]] || Ducal || --- || [[Meuse]] || Firs Izaak || Exceptionally well-connected.
|-
| [[House of Faramund|Faramund]] || Ducal || --- || [[Langhulm]] || Firsyn Sigurny || The Queen-Mother Ava is a Faramund.
|-
| [[House of Godwyn|Godwyn]] || Ducal || --- || [[Vylfhuld]] || Firs Edwyrd || ---
|-
| [[House of Haelsburg|Haelsburg]] || Ducal || --- || [[Haelsburg]] || Firs Hughard || ---
|-
| [[House of Beow|Beow]] || Ducal || --- || [[Skaedia]] || Firsyn Astryd || Originally the royal house of the [[Skraelingia|Kingdom of Skraelingia]] prior to 1919. Granted a fief by the Storkeneg in 1922.
|-
| [[House of Aldryk|Aldryk]] || Ducal || --- || [[Asburg]] || Firsyn Felicia || ---
|-
| [[House of Riktun|Riktun]] || Ducal || --- || [[Stenhuld]] || Firs Karolus || ---
|-
| [[House of Grimm|Grimm]] || Ducal || --- || [[Draakur|Ponver]] || Firs Junn || ---
|-
| [[House of Ludulf|Ludulf]] || Ducal || --- || [[Luenhuld]] || Firs Mikel || ---
|-
| [[House of Rynnur|Rynnur]] || Ducal || --- || [[Kanketya|Rynnurspurt]] || Firs Samwyl || ---
|-
| [[House of Graehulm|Graehulm]] || Comital || --- || [[Draakur|Primpoht]] || Jarl Rikard || Like many other northern aristocratic families, the Graehulms fragmented; while a significant part of the family remains in [[North Ottonia]], a noteworthy branch defected to the Royalist cause following the [[Inter-Ottonian Conflict#North ottonian Revolution|North Ottonian Revolution]].
|-
| [[House of Redmunn|Redmunn]] || Comital || --- || [[Draakur|Swatch]] || Jarl Waaltr || ---
|-
| [[House of Forstaal|Forstaal]] || Comital || --- || [[Staalmark|Waaldhuld]] || Jarl Wyntun || ---
|-
| [[House of Sfynn|Sfynn]] || Comital || --- || [[Starmburo]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Oswald|Oswald]] || Comital || --- || [[Ozhult]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Konrad|Konrad]] || Comital || --- || [[Rokes]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Sigismund|Sigismund]] || Comital || --- || [[Onneria|Shraedurpurt]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Burkhard|Burkhard]] || Comital || --- || [[Sullie]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Wigmar|Wigmar]] || Comital || --- || [[Desmark]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Koln|Koln]] || Comital || --- || [[Kohlenburg]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Rowan|Rowan]] || Comital || --- || [[Rownsboro]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Waldo|Waldo]] || Comital || --- || [[Blumsboro]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Heward|Heward]] || Comital || --- || [[Harken]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Torren|Torren]] || Comital || --- || [[Syndall]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Knut|Knut]] || Comital || --- || [[Fenn]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Fernan|Fernan]] || Comital || --- || [[Filnoa]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Essen|Essen]] || Comital || --- || [[Eysenhulm]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Orynn|Orynn]] || Comital || --- || [[Sant Tomus]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Styrling|Styrling]] || Comital || --- || [[Agentu]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Keyr|Keyr]] || Comital || --- || [[Supont]] || Jarl || ---
|-
| [[House of Jaal|Jaal]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie [[Edwyrd Jaal|Edwyrd]] || One of the Federation's "First Families", but also influential in Onnerian politics from the early 1800's. Former knightly house that made a fortune during early industrialization. Though today still only considered a Baronial house, the Jaals are very influential in South Ottonian politics and carry prestige similar to that of the Ducal houses.
|-
| [[House of Ennsie|Ennsie]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie || ---
|-
| [[House of Filius|Filius]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie Waaltr || One of the Federation's "First Families", the Filius' were at one point a Knightly family that made a fortune as merchants in the 18th century. A branch of the family defected to the Royalist cause in 1914, prompting them to be ennobled in 1923. However, the ensuing century has not been especially kind to the Southern branch of the Filii.
|-
| [[House of Ulryk|Ulryk]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie || ---
|-
| [[House of Gennis|Gennis]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie || ---
|-
| [[House of Faeryn|Faeryn]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie || A former knightly house that received promotion due to extreme wealth; notable for being one of the two families to own the Faeryn-Barr Automotive Company.
|-
| [[House of Barr|Barr]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie || A former knightly house that received promotion due to extreme wealth; notable for being one of the two families to own the Faeryn-Barr Automotive Company.
|-
| [[House of Wyndhorst|Wyndhorst]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie || ---
|-
| [[House of Kleiner|Kleiner]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie [[Joerg Kleiner|Joerg]] || A family that has achieved prominence through military service, with the most-recent notable member of the family being Royal Army General [[Joerg Kleiner]].
|-
| [[House of Lohr|Lohr]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie || ---
|-
| [[House of Faalk|Faalk]] || Baronial || --- || --- || Adalfrie || ---
|-
|}


[[Category: Ajax]]
[[Category: Ajax]]

Latest revision as of 18:10, 24 July 2023

The nobility of South Ottonia are the individuals and families, as recognized by the Storkeneg or Storkenegyn of Ottonia that enjoy hereditary privileges and duties that distinguish them from other persons within South Ottonia. Although as of 2022 this system is officially defunct, the nobility of South Ottonia was crucial to the functioning of the state between 1917 and 2022, and its echoes continue to have impact on the politics and governance of the United Kingdom of Ottonia even after it has been territorially-reduced to the Draakur Archipelago.

While the nobility of South Ottonia has its roots in the various class systems of the pre-Unification Ottonian states, and, further back, in the medieval Ottonian Empire, in practice the South Ottonian nobility was formed from a combination of traditionally-privileged families, ennobled members of the capitalist class, hereditary government and military officials, and commoners rewarded by the House of Sproek-Kristhulm upon the Restoration of the Ottonian monarchy. Crucially, much of the upper echelons of the aristocracy were constitutionally-delineated in their rights and duties in the Charter of the United Kingdom of Ottonia.

Noble Ranks

The constitutionally-delineated ranks of the South Ottonian nobility are as follows:

  • Storkeneg/Storkenegyn - translated from Old Allamunnic roughly as "High King/Queen", this title is reserved for the sovereign of South Ottonia, since 1922 functionally-but-not-constitutionally-limited to the House of Sproek-Kristhulm.
  • Keneg/Kenegyn - translated directly from Old Allamunnic as "King/Queen", the term is often rendered in International Anglic as "[Ruling] Prince/Princess". This rank is assigned to the hereditary constitutional monarchs of Onneria and Staalmark, ruled by the House of Heligsburg and House of Trynt respectively.
  • Storfirs/Storfirsyn - translated directly as "High Prince/Princess", in practice this term is used for the heir-apparent of the reigning Storkeneg/Storkenegyn.
  • Firs/Firsyn - translated to modern Allamunnic most-directly as "Prince" but in practice rendered as "Duke/Duchess", in practice this term is used for the highest-level of subordinate constitutional monarchs under the House of Sproek-Kristhulm and its cadet branches, serving as the constitutional monarch to a Province, as well as being the courtesy title/formal rank of the younger children of the reigning Storkeneg(yn) and the heirs-apparent of the Keneg(yn)s. It is typically translated to modern Allamunnic/International Anglic as "Duke/Duchess" for those with constitutional roles or the heir to a Keneg(yn), while it's rendered as "Prince(ss)" for the younger children or siblings of the reigning Storkeneg(yn).
  • Markarl/Markarlyn - translated directly as "Margrave/Margravine", this rank is considered as equivalent to "Firs/Firsyn", but only applies to specific domains or to military or Royal Civil Service Bureau top-level officers.
  • Arl/Arlyn - translated directly as "Earl/Count/Countess", this rank denotes those who are the constitutional monarch of a County-level domain.
  • Burgarl/Burgarlyn - translated directly as "Burgrave/Burgravine", this rank indicates a constitutional monarch/hereditary executive of a municipality.
  • Adalfrie - A "free noble", roughly equivalent to Baronial rank, this rank in modern parlance specifically refers to members of the peerage in government service of sufficient rank.

Beyond these, there are also the four "knightly" ranks, reserved for those with a royal commission. Relevant commmissions can be to a military commissioned officer role, a commissioned officer in the Royal Civil Service Bureau, lawyers and medical doctors in government service, or being named to the Ottonian Senate. In the modern day, knightly ranks tend to be non-hereditary, as they are generally a way to reward capable and useful commoners;

  • Skarl/Usmair - the highest "knightly" rank, reserved mostly for military officers between the rank of Captain and Major, and civil service officers of sufficient (but less well-defined) ranks.
  • Adal/Adalyn - meaning simply "noble", this rank is mostly for junior CO's in various services, and is also conferred upon anyone appointed or elected to the Ottonian Senate who is not already a noble of some kind.
  • Horser/Horsdam - translating to "Horse Sir" or "Horse Dame", this is a relatively common "noble" rank. Historically denoting those with enough wealth to own their own horse, in the present it's typically given to accomplished NCO's, very junior CO's, some civil servants, lawyers, and medical doctors.
  • Swarser/Swardam - translating directly to "Sword Sir" or "Sword Dame", this is the lowest "noble" rank and is typically used to ennoble those whose professions or familial history would not otherwise allow them to be.

Nobility As Government Officials

As has previously been indicated, to a large extent the government, social elite, and economic elite of South Ottonia have historically been one and the same, and this is reflected in the way the role of the nobility was codified in South Ottonia's Charter.

While South Ottonia was a constitutional monarchy at the national level, it was distinguished from many other constitutional monarchies in also replicating this structure at lower levels of government, where the Kingdom-level domains (Onneria & Staalmark), the provincial-level domains, county- and municipality-level domains almost all had their own hereditary executives.

Similarly, earning a royal commission into the Royal Civil Service Bureau, Royal Armed Forces, or being elected or appointed to the Ottonian Senate comes with enrollment into, at minimum, the knightly ranks of the nobility. Socially, this provided the function of coopting talented, promising, or influential individuals into the fixed power structure of South Ottonia, although there were still some notable exceptions (significantly, the rate of ennobling among those in the RCSB on Draakur was much lower than on the mainland, with perhaps predictable consequences.

Rights and Privileges

Under the South Ottonian regimen, the nobility, besides enjoying special honors and social prestige, also receieved more tangible benefits. This included preference under the law, in admission to universities, in hiring, housing, and other domains, as well as guaranteed incomes based on rank.

Duties

List of Ottonian Noble Houses

Below is a list of all Ottonian Noble Houses of Comital rank or above, plus certain noteworthy houses of Baronial rank.

House Name House Rank Coat of Arms Seat Head of Family Notes
Sproek-Kristhulm High Royal --- Wyllemspurt
Haefeld
Storkeneg-Emeritus Rodrik Formed by the dynastic union of the Staalmarker House of Sproek and Onnerian House of Kristhulm.
Heligsburg Royal --- Onneria Keneg Theodurik Cadet branch of the Kristhulms.
Trynt Royal --- Staalburg Keneg Adolphus Cadet branch of the House of Sproek.
Romm Ducal --- Meuse Firs Izaak Exceptionally well-connected.
Faramund Ducal --- Langhulm Firsyn Sigurny The Queen-Mother Ava is a Faramund.
Godwyn Ducal --- Vylfhuld Firs Edwyrd ---
Haelsburg Ducal --- Haelsburg Firs Hughard ---
Beow Ducal --- Skaedia Firsyn Astryd Originally the royal house of the Kingdom of Skraelingia prior to 1919. Granted a fief by the Storkeneg in 1922.
Aldryk Ducal --- Asburg Firsyn Felicia ---
Riktun Ducal --- Stenhuld Firs Karolus ---
Grimm Ducal --- Ponver Firs Junn ---
Ludulf Ducal --- Luenhuld Firs Mikel ---
Rynnur Ducal --- Rynnurspurt Firs Samwyl ---
Graehulm Comital --- Primpoht Jarl Rikard Like many other northern aristocratic families, the Graehulms fragmented; while a significant part of the family remains in North Ottonia, a noteworthy branch defected to the Royalist cause following the North Ottonian Revolution.
Redmunn Comital --- Swatch Jarl Waaltr ---
Forstaal Comital --- Waaldhuld Jarl Wyntun ---
Sfynn Comital --- Starmburo Jarl ---
Oswald Comital --- Ozhult Jarl ---
Konrad Comital --- Rokes Jarl ---
Sigismund Comital --- Shraedurpurt Jarl ---
Burkhard Comital --- Sullie Jarl ---
Wigmar Comital --- Desmark Jarl ---
Koln Comital --- Kohlenburg Jarl ---
Rowan Comital --- Rownsboro Jarl ---
Waldo Comital --- Blumsboro Jarl ---
Heward Comital --- Harken Jarl ---
Torren Comital --- Syndall Jarl ---
Knut Comital --- Fenn Jarl ---
Fernan Comital --- Filnoa Jarl ---
Essen Comital --- Eysenhulm Jarl ---
Orynn Comital --- Sant Tomus Jarl ---
Styrling Comital --- Agentu Jarl ---
Keyr Comital --- Supont Jarl ---
Jaal Baronial --- --- Adalfrie Edwyrd One of the Federation's "First Families", but also influential in Onnerian politics from the early 1800's. Former knightly house that made a fortune during early industrialization. Though today still only considered a Baronial house, the Jaals are very influential in South Ottonian politics and carry prestige similar to that of the Ducal houses.
Ennsie Baronial --- --- Adalfrie ---
Filius Baronial --- --- Adalfrie Waaltr One of the Federation's "First Families", the Filius' were at one point a Knightly family that made a fortune as merchants in the 18th century. A branch of the family defected to the Royalist cause in 1914, prompting them to be ennobled in 1923. However, the ensuing century has not been especially kind to the Southern branch of the Filii.
Ulryk Baronial --- --- Adalfrie ---
Gennis Baronial --- --- Adalfrie ---
Faeryn Baronial --- --- Adalfrie A former knightly house that received promotion due to extreme wealth; notable for being one of the two families to own the Faeryn-Barr Automotive Company.
Barr Baronial --- --- Adalfrie A former knightly house that received promotion due to extreme wealth; notable for being one of the two families to own the Faeryn-Barr Automotive Company.
Wyndhorst Baronial --- --- Adalfrie ---
Kleiner Baronial --- --- Adalfrie Joerg A family that has achieved prominence through military service, with the most-recent notable member of the family being Royal Army General Joerg Kleiner.
Lohr Baronial --- --- Adalfrie ---
Faalk Baronial --- --- Adalfrie ---