hérlendis

Hérlendis is a term used in the fictional lexicon of the Northward Isles to describe the ceremonial process by which a community ratifies a treaty or alliance. The word is also used to refer to the treaty that results from the ceremony. In narrative and glossary entries, hérlendis marks the legal and moral binding of promises through a public, ritualized act rather than mere written agreement.

Etymology: Hérlendis is presented in the constructed language of the Northward Isles as a compound of elements meaning "bind" and "agreement." The exact phonology varies by dialect, with forms such as hérlend and hérlendu attested in regional texts. The term appears in chronicles dating from roughly the mid-second millennium of the setting, often in parallel with other binding rites.

Ritual and meaning: During a hérlendis, a council presents a drafted clause-by-clause treaty inscribed on a stone or carved tablet. Witnesses recite a pledge, and seals, wax, and symbolic tokens are exchanged to symbolize mutual obligation. The ceremony emphasizes shared responsibility and continuity of the alliance, and violations are treated as breaches of community trust rather than mere contractual disputes. Variants exist regionally, with differing rites for signing, sealing, and ongoing accountability.

Legacy: In contemporary lore and scholarly writing within the setting, hérlendis functions as a foundational concept of political legitimacy, distinguishing solemn, binding arrangements from informal pacts. It is discussed in legal codices, sagas, and diplomacy treatises, frequently cited as a model of enduring cooperation.