Anglisc Landbit

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Anglisc Landbit', pronounced "Anglish Land-bit," is a country on the isle of Anglisc Landbit, which is to the west of Ireland. It is sparsly populated and not known for its military might or economic prowess. It is, however, known for its use of Anglish, the devoutness of its people, and its rough history.

History of Anglisc Landbit

The Arrival

Anglisc Lanbit was founded in 1042 anno dommini by a group of Englishmen who were shipwrecked on the island. It is almost miraculous that the people came to Anglisc Landbit; the island is of considerable distance from Ireland. The group, which was sailing to Ireland but got lost in a terrible storm, included women and children and allowed the original people to reproduce. Several other ships in similar shipwrecks occured, and by 1066, the year of the Norman conquest of England, Anglisc Landbit had roughly 1,000 people. This number continued to grow as the population reproduced and the occasional shipwreck brought yet more people into Anglisc Landbit. It is through these occasional shipwrecks, occuring on average once every fifty years, that the people of the island learned about the outside world.

The Founding of Meriggsburg

Merrigsburg, the first town on Anglisc Landbit, was founded in 1042 with the arrival of the first shipwreck. The wood from the old ship was used to build the first buildings. With around a thousand people settling on the island by 1066, nearly all in Meriggsburg, the town was of an intermediate size. Around this time, the first town leader, whose kin ultimately became the House of Merigg, James of Merigg, arose and proclaimed that Merrigsburg needed order. James was a street preacher, having no church, and in his sermons he often placed political arguments for a central authority in the haphazardly built town. He proposed the use of folcsmight, or democracy, to determine who would be in charge. Running uncontested, James was proclaimed Greatfolcðingman of Merrigsburg on his order. He created the Folcðing, or congress, and had the people elect ten folcðingmen. These folcðingmen were to act as James's aides, helping ensure the rule of law.

James's acts included the reconstruction of parts of Meriggsburg as a kind of city planning. The streets were haphazard and uncoordinated, and so they were laid out on a grid. At the center of town, a new church and towncenter were built. Though modest, these improvements made James and his descendents the Greatfolcðingman for years to come.

The Theocracy

Many uneventful years passed since the establishment of Meriggsburg and the leadership of James of Merigg. Around the year 1336 AD, however, James's descendent, Henry Merigg, endeavored to have God further bless the colony with further peace and prosperity. During this time a strong aversion had developed to the few English sailors that had gotten lost and landed on the island. Their strange tongue was a more modern form of English. Understanding the English speakers was difficult, yet not impossible. Because of the linguistical differences, Henry Merigg, also Greatfolcðingman, decided that the Catholic Church was a corrupt entity, just as corrupt as the English language. To recieve God's continued blessing, Henry argued, the people would have to sever all ties with the Church (Kerek in Anglish).

To accomplish this goal, Henry founding the Kerek af Anglisc Landbit (Church of Anglisc Landbit), which he proclaimed to be free of "Kaðolic" influences. He decreed that the Folcðing was to be replaced with the Kerekðing, which would ensure that the law would be in agreement with the law of the Kerek. The Kerek was to be promoted by the government at every turn, yet all other churches were still allowed to exist. Henry is supposed to have said this of a follower of the other churches: "Sinner, ðov canst choose by ðe grace of God. He leteð manen sinen and choose hen faten. So shallen we." Rendered in modern English, this is "Sinner, you can choose by the grace of God. He lets men sin and choose their fates."

While other churches were allowed to exist, the law of the Bible was followed to the max. Old rules in the Old Testament concerning what foods may or may not be eaten, the wearing of clothes from multiple cloths, amongst other things, were all reinstated. The punishment for an infraction such as the wearing of clothes of multiple fabric was an appointment with a preacher, so that he may tell the man what he had done wrong. Other crimes were more serious, however. A murderer would be sent to a preacher for a time of one week, during which time the preacher should try and instill the fear of God in the man. If he succeded or not did not matter; the man was to be executed by hanging.

Blasphemy and witchcraft were similar crimes. However, these crimes were allowed once before capital punishment. The first offense would be a steep fine, and the second offense would warrant a death by stoning. Adultery, while a serious offense, could not be punished if, for example, the woman could be found but not the illicit lover. The woman would be fined, as would the lover if he could be found. In all of these crimes, the criminal would be sent to a preacher to repent of their sins, especially blasphemers, witches or wizards, murderers, and adulterers. Over time, blasphemy and witchcraft became serious crimes that were punishable by hefty fines instead of death.