2007-11-20 01:54:45 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Is Anglo-Saxon culture any different from other cultures?
Why is it important to have a friend in any culture?
I think you will find, the answer is the same...
2007-11-20 02:25:28 · answer #1 · answered by WMD 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In many pre-modern European societies, the state was either non-existent or extremely limited in scope. The strongest bonds in such societies were reciprocal bonds between two people. Some of these bonds were those of loyalty and service, but the strongest were those based on friendship.
Without a state or other institutions upon which a man could rely, he could instead call upon those to whom he was bound. And the most reliable would be friends. If he had a bad year or was being threatened with violence, he could call upon friends. They could support him in court, vouch for his good character (very important in pre-modern law), loan or give him funds and generally support him.
2007-11-20 04:05:59 · answer #2 · answered by Gerald 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋