What happens to Criminals in the Land?

[KAY1]

Although about 98% of the Land appear to be all lovey towards their neighbours and never harm anyone, what about those that do? I remember in TPTP when half of Revelstone went nuts after the green stuff sent through the ground by the Raver and some of those 'seemed to remember having committed murder'. Those people were sent to the healers, presumably because they couldnt be considered responsible for them.
But not everyone in the Land could have been innocent could they? Did noone ever see a window open in a Stonedown, spot a nice bit of earthen ware and think 'Ooh I'l have that!'
In 2nd chrons we discover that Revelstone has dungeons but I forget if they were already there or of the Clave built them. Saying that I guess the Giants originally built Revelstone and they built it to their known designs.
We also find out in 2nd chrons that people are not so nice anymore and often raid other villages.
Surely every society, no matter how seemingly idyllic, must have its 'bad apples'?

[Nerdanel]

I think health-sense is the key. A successful criminal would have to be capable of somehow faking his/her aura, like Lord Foul. Normal people of the Land wouldn't manage that. Opaque people like travellers from other worlds aren't exactly common, and even they are affected by the Test of Truth, the faking of which needs significant power. So in conclusion only the very mightiest entities would be able to commit crimes and not get caught soon.

Also, with the health-sense it isn't very easy to let your neighbor starve while you have food aplenty. It would hurt you too much. There wouldn't be much incentive for economic crimes in the Land.

I think crimes of passion would be almost the only kind in the Land, and even those would be rare. Such a crime would probably be viewed as a fit of insanity.

[KAY1]

I guess so but I wonder what made them come up with the tests in the first place? I suppose it stemmed from Berek's time with all that kerfuffle over the king and the war and maybe they needed to know who to trust, but I wonder what happened to any surviving baddies?

[sgt.null]

exile perhaps? push them off into the deep and dark woods.

[KAY1]

To let the Forestals and trees do away with them you mean?

The thing is I know the city of Doriendor Corishev was full of happy people under the rule of the king and queen until the raver got its claws into him then a lot of people kinda indulged their evil side. I know the firelions also killed pretty much all of them. But was it the Earthpower that made all the remaining people all nicey nicey or are some of them maybe still harbouring dark sides? After all concepts such as murder and rape are not alien to the people.

[Digital Thought]

This is a very interesting question. I'm quite sure that anyone who's aura is significantly altered has to go see the Lords. Perhaps some are willing to become unfettered in order to atone for whatever it is that they have done. Or maybe it was a result so severe and immediate that it was simply not spoken about. It's the kind of thing you learn in private with your family. But if you steal, kill, whatever, the penalty is known to everyone and it is to occur without delay. An important tool is taken, then that person's hand it broken with a hammer found at the smithy. A person is murdered. That person is immediately killed in a like fashion. It is lawful and there is no shame in it. Or maybe those people walk into the forest never to return.

[Rincewind]

Would Trell be considered a criminal? he did commit Assault and Battery...

and Triock as well would have committed murder - so the people of the land are still human enough to make mistakes because of anger - so they must have some sort of disciplinary system set up

[Cmdr_Floyd]

I know!! lets stake any criminal out in the desert and let the Sunbane have them!....... damn its already been thought of!!

[Cmdr_Floyd]

on a serious note (C Sharp ) as mentioned before, the health sense would be a barrier to any petty or serious crime in the land. The woodhelvin seem to use the test of truth with lomillialor rod on those they do not trust or are wary of (chapter 10 LFB) and if you didnt pass they were quick to subdue you! Also when Covenant and Atiaran came across the murdered Waynhim the area of the murder supposedly 'stank of violence'. Triock was also ready to carve up Covenant - as he thought Covenant was a raver - but when Atiaran refused to let him he did say 'will he go unpunished' although what the punishment would have been is left to speculation.

[Spring]

We also find out in 2nd chrons that people are not so nice anymore and often raid other villages.
Surely every society, no matter how seemingly idyllic, must have its 'bad apples'?

The secong chrons would be mor elikely to have crimes such as village raids due to the Sunbane. People would get pretty desperate.

[Digital Thought]

Would Trell be considered a criminal? he did commit Assault and Battery...

No. Trell would not be considered a criminal. In fact, if my theory is correct, Triock is not considered a criminal either , even though he held back as well.


If he had killed Thomas, would it have been considered murder? You see, I think everything, even from the beginning hinges on the reader’s ability to adjust to an ill-begotten hero. If you say, was Covenant guilty of negligence during the Celebration of Spring, one might immediately say yes. Emotionally, he is my blaming point. The finger is all over Thomas Covenant from the beginning of this sad life at 28yrs old in that small town to the time he was in front of the Lords, I wanted him to just deal with it & get up & just deal with it. And this is why I loved Atrian so very much 

and Triock as well would have committed murder - so the people of the land are still human enough to make mistakes because of anger - so they must have some sort of disciplinary system set up

Yes. Well, consider how barbarically simple such a system would be from such an efficient culture. They might be as insane as the Aztecs who have the reputed record for sacrifices, decade, year, month, week, day, hour, minute, seconds. They could rip your heart out faster than you could hit a fly in the living room with a swatter. They would find the best place to pull, and just rip it right away from the person. Very dangerous things.
[/code]

[Kaos Arcanna]

I think this could be the answer to where all that salted beef and
clingor came from ...

[Borillar]

Nasty, Kaos!

[Fist and Faith]

kerfuffle

Nice

Atiaran said:

"Let the Lords punish him. They will know what to think of a stranger who attacks the innocent. The matter is beyond me."

Implying that, if she felt up to the task, she would be entitled to decide?
And:

"Ah, I pray that the Lords will punish - punish!"

So there can be punishment for crime, although who can guess what.

[wayfriend]

There are no criminals in the Land.

Just as there are no lazy Haruchai, nor feckless Ranyhyn, nor zany waynhim, nor zestless Giants.

It is a Land of ideals, of embidiments of extremes.

[sgt.null]

so Thomas brings original sin? as everyone else is either truly good or truly evil?

[DukkhaWaynhim]

There are no criminals in the Land.

Just as there are no lazy Haruchai, nor feckless Ranyhyn, nor zany waynhim, nor zestless Giants.

It is a Land of ideals, of embidiments of extremes.

I find myself quite zany...though admittedly, it is a posthumous affliction.

DW

[matrixman]

DW!

[sgt.null]

Dennis Wood?

[DukkhaWaynhim]

I'm not familiar with Dennis Wood. Is that anywhere near Hundred Acre Wood?

DW