Yarn of insignificant questions

[Swissky]

How do heads of village/village elders get their authority in rural areas in the second and third world? Simply being the eldest and thereby considered the wisest or by some sort of inauguration?

It depends. In a lot of places it's sort of ad hoc and there can be more than one elder. Conversely I know that in parts of rural West Africa there is a specific designated elder with a costume and specific roles, and it's heriditary so nobody disputes it. They're a sort of final authority on local decisions (like a judge) but don't wield actual power, so it's not as attractive to power trippers.

From my observation lot of communities even in Europe and America have a "village elder" of sorts. This is usually the person most people point to when an outsider wants to know more about the history of the place and whatnot. In my area there's this elderly energetic guy with a garden and he knows everyone, so he's been "democratically" chosen as the local representative by people acknowledging him as such.

Many thanks.

 

[kurczak]

How do heads of village get their authority in rural areas in the second world? Simply being the eldest and thereby considered the wisest or by some sort of inauguration?

There's a ritual called municipal elections when the villagers gather in a tent and throw magic pieces of papers into a magic box and then the oracle announces who the new mayor is.

 

[Bluehawk]

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. No one would rely on such a system.

 

[Dryvus]

In the Valley, there's a sort of perpetual trial by pot luck dinner, the women compete to see which of them is most resilient to their intragendral machinations. Then their family is afforded a primacy in contriving social edicts. The lionization of firefighters, police officers, soldiers, hockey goons and other people in positions that might normally offer avenues to superiority, is the same distinction that otherizes and distances them from these opportunities.

 

[Untitled.]

How do heads of village get their authority in rural areas in the second world? Simply being the eldest and thereby considered the wisest or by some sort of inauguration?

There's a ritual called municipal elections when the villagers gather in a tent and throw magic pieces of papers into a magic box and then the oracle announces who the new mayor is.

 

[BenKenobi]

Can you think of some famous (real or not) character that is commonly associated with a knife? The only one I can think of is Mackie Messer from the Threepenny opera.

 

[IA]

Jack the Ripper, and Jim Bowie come to mind.

 

[Cpt. Nemo]

Victor Zsaz, Michael Myers, and Chucky.

 

[Age of Empires ¶ Densetsu]

Obviously Michael "Crocodile" Dundee.

 

[Bluehawk]

Macbeth

 

[Vieira151]

Obviously Michael "Crocodile" Dundee.

This.

 

[BenKenobi]

Well, there is a knife and a knife.

 

[Almalexia]

Mack the Knife.

 

[Bluehawk]

The Toecuttah from Mad Max carried a giant axe, does that count?

 

[Age of Empires ¶ Densetsu]

I didn't carry an axe!

 

[BenKenobi]

Mack the Knife.

Mackie Messer

 

[Bluehawk]

I didn't carry an axe!

 

[crodio]

Juan Moreira, Martin Fierro

 

[Age of Empires ¶ Densetsu]

 

[Vraelomon]

Tin Tin.
Mai.

Spoiler

Neither one of them are particularly well known and they probably don't count