Handmaiden (Selkie)

**Handmaidens**, called *bruinneall* in Selkie, are an ancient institution in what is nowadays the Free Lands, first attested in the times of the Tribal Kingdoms. Although expert domestic workers, the Handmaidens were never slaves. Their male equivalents are usually called *giolla*, which is usually translated as valet.

Nowadays, some hotels and inns still have Handmaidens on their staff, although usually more
going by the name and traditions then by actual training.

## History

### During the Age of High Kings

During the Age of High Kings, Handmaidens usually accompanied Ladies and helped them with their tasks, but rarely accompanied men.

Around the  1st century BCE, Handmaidens served in a variety of roles. Their primary role was as always to both assist and protect their Lady, their secondary role to provide for the others of their Lady's entourage, for example by supplying the bodyguards with food.

None of their purposes was sexual, but they were schooled in entertaining, namely by dance, song and music, games and other forms of entertainment. The skills in these matters decided about the worth of a handmaiden on both the market and for their Lady, their deeds reflected back onto their Ladies.

Should a handmaiden bring dishonour to their Lady, it was hers and hers alone to punish her in the way she saw fit, but without killing her. A too harsh punishment however could bring dishonour back to the Lady in question. On the other hand, a handmaiden was under the protection of her Lady, moreso of her household. A crime against her could have serious consequences.

If a handmaiden found her love, she would ask her Lady for permission to leave her services, which was usually approved. The handmaiden would now stay connected to her Lady and her family until her dying day. Getting offers from another house to change Ladies was highly frowned upon.

Two of the best known handmaidens are Aífe the Banshee and Tea the Handmaiden, made immortal by accounts about their employer Princess Macha, many written by Sírlám the Scribe.

## Selkie-Handmaidens today

Nowadays, handmaidens are mostly gone, with some of the more influential and richer houses maintaining a staff of personell, who's female members are still called handmaidens, though their tasks differ nowadays (the handmaidens of Arbhar House near Ironcastle for example are tasked with taking care of the garden and cooking). Not only female persons of high influence employ handmaidens nowadays, but also males (the steward of Arbhar House is a man, for example).

Some hotels and inns call their staff Handmaiden, calling back onto the traditions and customs of the days long past.

## Traditions

### The *raicleach* - The Cat

Tea the Handmaiden is also usually seen as a good example for the position of the *raicleach*, or Cat, the reason for the cat ears and tails mostly seen on pictures of her. As *raicleach* it was Tea's mission to serve her lady without stepping out of the shadows herself, rarely making an appearance, but being felt regardless. If the sign of the position indeed was a pair of cat ears and tails is, as researchers note, debatable, but cute nonetheless.

## See also

* Handmaiden (Kyrenaian).
* Hausmädchen.