习俗与律法

[Manfred]

七国的近代历史可以追溯到征服者伊庚的时代，但许多城堡与家族的历史却可以回溯数千年。下面是一个维斯特洛当今的关键习俗与律法的列表：

·君权神授，无论新神旧神。

·贵族比平民拥有更多的权利与责任，他们的地位生来如此。

·上层人士比底层人士拥有更多的权利与特权。

·男人比女人拥有更多的权利（多恩不在此列，在那里年龄是决定因素而非性别）。

·贵族子嗣可以继承与他们双亲同等的权利，除非他身出庶系。

·继承法在贵族之间是一个重要的问题。长子是法定继承人，他的兄弟位列其后。而他的姐妹无论长幼，都只能在她的兄弟之后成为继承人。

·私生子（庶出的的儿子和女儿）可能会被他们的父母所承认。在某些特殊的情况下，他们甚至可以获得继承权。但他们通常不具备与合法的子嗣竞争的权利。

·一个地区的领主是当地的权威的代表，并代国王主持正义。领主的职责是维护和平，倾听请愿，以封君与国王的名义施以裁决和惩处。

·对罪犯的惩罚包括肉刑，死刑，以及褫夺封地、财产和头衔。还有一个选择是被迫穿上黑衣，前往长城，加入守夜人。他所有的罪行都会被赦免，但他必须放弃所有的土地和权利（包括结婚的权利），誓言终身成为守夜人的弟兄。女人不被允许穿上黑衣。

·领主拥有处刑权（pit and gallow，男人上吊，女人下水），这意味着一旦罪行被证实，领主可以代国王行使权威，关押或处决罪犯。

·在先民的传统中，宣判时需注视对方的双眼，倾听他的遗言，并亲自执剑行刑。北方人仍保留着这个传统。但南方的领主通常请一个刽子手，例如国王的执法官。

·有产骑士亦可主持正义，但他们无权处刑。因此，他们不能私自关押或处决罪犯。

·盗窃者断一手，强奸犯去势，多数轻罪施以鞭刑。

·最常见的处决方式是绞刑，或由刽子手以剑或斧斩首。但残忍的领主会选用“鸦笼”，这是一个大小勉强能容纳一人的铁笼，犯人将被关在其中，饥渴而死。鸦群时常降落在铁笼上，透过铁笼啄食凡人的血肉，鸦笼便是因此而得名。

·国王能够赦免罪行。劳勃国王曾经赦免了许多在战争中向坦格利安王室效忠的人。

·当领主被指控时，可以要求比武审判（比武的方式随着时间的流逝发生了改变），或者要求其他几位领主共同听取陈述，做出裁决。

·另一项直至今日仍然在维斯特洛广泛流行的先民传统是“宾客权”。任何食用了主人提供的食物的访客都在驻留期间受到保护，不受伤害。依据习俗，宾客可以要求主人提供面包与食盐，若访客不信任主人，他到达时便可立刻提出这个要求。传言任何背弃这项约定的人都会被众神诅咒。

·成年的标志是十六岁，而在此之前的男孩只是“近乎成年”。女性初潮（迎来她的月事）——贵族少女此时通常不满十六岁——也是人生中一个重要的里程碑。

·成年人方可立下婚誓，但并没有律法禁止未成年人成婚。贵族通常会给年幼的子嗣订婚，有时还会出于政治因素而促成不满十六岁的子嗣成婚，例如出现继承危机时。但无论如何，没有人愿意与未经初潮的女孩同床，这种行为会被视为违背伦理和亵渎。

·信奉七神者由主教主持成婚，信奉旧神者会在鱼梁木前立下婚誓。

·任何拒绝立下婚誓的人都不能被迫成婚，即便是家族施压，甚至被武力威胁。这并非没有耳闻。

·婚姻可以解除，尤其是在圆房之前。

·贵族一般会接受并养育其他家族的养子，从八、九岁直到成年，并借此来保持家族之间的忠诚。这些养子作为侍酒(pages)和侍从(squires)为监护人的家族服务，并常常会与这个家族建立起坚实的友谊。

·质子与养子类似，但在这种情况下，这些孩子却是政治人质。尽管他们会受到优待，但他们寄人篱下的真正原因却不曾改变。

·私生子，或庶出子嗣，常常被蔑视和猜疑，不受信任。他们生于“欲望与谎言”，人们普遍认为他们的存在都没任何有好处。每个地区的贵族私生子都有不同的姓氏：
多恩：沙德
铁群岛：派克
君临与龙石岛：微睡
北境：雪诺
河湾地：佛花
河间地：河文
艾林谷：石东
西境：希山

[Manfred]

附上原文
Customs & Laws

The most recent age of the Seven Kingdoms can be traced back to Aegon the Conqueror and spans 300 years, but the history of many castles and families in Westeros goes back thousands of years. The following is a list of some of today’s most prevalent key customs and laws of Westeros:
Authority runs from the king, who is believed to be empowered by BBthe gods, whether old or new.
Nobility have more rights and responsibilities than the smallfolk. BBNobility are born to their status.
Higher-ranked individuals have more rights and powers than those BBof lower status.

Men have more rights than women (except in Dorne, where age is BBthe determining factor, not sex).
The children of nobility inherit the same rights as their parents, BBunless they are born out of wedlock.
Inheritance law is a key issue among the nobility. First-born sons are BBthe legitimate heirs, followed by their brothers. Sisters—no matter their rank in birth order—only inherit if no sons exist to do so.
Bastards (natural sons and daughters) may be acknowledged by BBtheir parents, and they may even be given rights of inheritance in unusual situations, but normally they lose out to legitimate siblings in all cases.
The lord of a region is the chief authority and can administer the BBking’s justice. It is a lord’s duty to keep the peace, hear petitions, and mete out justice and punishments, all in the name of his lord and, ultimately, in the name of the king.
Punishments for criminals can include maiming, death, and stripBBping of lands, wealth, and titles; an alternate punishment is to be forced to “take the black” on the Wall. By joining the Night’s Watch, all crimes and sins are forgiven, but one must give up all lands and rights (including the right to wed) and be forever sworn to the Brotherhood of the Night’s Watch. Women are not allowed to take the black.
Lords have the right of “pit and gallows,” which means they have BBthe king’s authority to imprison subjects or have them executed if the crime warrants it.
In the tradition of the First Men, the man who passes the sentence BBshould look into the subject’s eyes and hear his final words, and he should be the one to swing the sword. The people of the North still cling to this belief, but in the south, lords often keep a headsman, like the King’s Justice.
Landed knights may also carry out justice, but they do not have the BBright of “pit and gallows.” They cannot, therefore, execute someone or imprison someone on their own initiative.
A thief may lose a hand, a rapist may be castrated, and floggings are BBdoled out for many minor offenses.
Most executions are done by the gallows or the headsman’s axe or BBsword, but cruel lords may use the “crow cage,” a wrought iron cage barely big enough for a man, in which the victim is imprisoned without food or water until death. Its name comes from the throng of crows who often descend upon the poor soul, pecking at his or her flesh through the bars.
The king can pardon any criminal, as King Robert did to many who BBstayed loyal to the Targaryens during the war.
A lord who is accused of a crime may request a trial by combat (of BBwhich there are several variations over the ages) or trial by lord, in which several other lords listen to the facts and pronounce judgment upon him.
Another tradition of the First Men still held throughout Westeros BBto this day is that of the “guest right.” Any visitor who eats at his or her host’s board is protected from harm for the duration of the stay. By custom, a guest may request bread and salt, and any visitor who does not trust his or her host may request such immediately upon arrival. It is said that those who betray this pact are cursed by the gods.
The age of majority is 16, before that, a youth may be “almost a man BBgrown.” A girl’s first menstruation (getting her moonblood)—often at a younger age for noble girls—is also an important milestone.
Marriage vows are normally not said until adulthood, though there BBis no law prohibiting it. Nobles often betroth children at a very early age, and sometimes it is politically crucial to marry children younger than 16, such as when an inheritance is at risk. Regardless, no one would bed a girl before her first moonblood; to do so is seen as perverse and profane.
Those who follow the Seven are wed by a septon, while those who BBfollow the old gods may say their vows before a weirwood.
No one can be forced to marry if they refuse to say the vows, though BBfamilial pressures, and even threats of force, are not unheard of.
Marriage contracts can be broken, especially if the marriage has BBnot been consummated.
Family allegiances are often made by fostering sons of another lord BBfrom the age of 8 or 9 until they reach the age of majority. These lads serve as pages and squires, and they will often become fast friends with the family they serve.
Wards are similar to fostered boys, but in this case the youths are BBkept as political hostages. While they may be treated well, a shadow of the true meaning of their extended stay always remains.
Bastards, or natural children, are often looked down upon with BBsuspicion and distrust. Born of “lust and lies,” a common belief is that they will grow up to do no good. Each region has a distinctive surname for noble bastards:
Dorne: Sand
The Reach: Flowers
The Iron Islands: Pyke
The Riverlands: Rivers
King’s Landing(and Dragonstone): Waters
The Vale of Arryn: Stone
The North: Snow
The Westerlands: Hill
The Stormlands: Storm