THE LAWS OF HOSPITATLITY FOR MYCENEAENS --------------------------------------- 1) A Guest always has the right to leave a Host's home, lands, celebration or gathering when they wish (this is not possible always in the middle of a ritual and can only be done when the officiary of the ritual grants it magically etc), without harm or threat of harm, with all that they brought with them into the locale. 2) A Host always has the right to ask a Guest to leave their home, lands, celebration, gathering or ritual without conflict of a physical or verbal nature, and to take with them all they brought with them into the locale. 3) A Host has the right to request an armed guest to peacebond, remove from the locale or to take a weapon of any obvious nature, unless necessary for a ritual taking place, until it the guest is ready to leave without argument or conflict. 4) A Host has the right to request a guest not utilize or even bring into their home, lands, celebration, gathering or ritual any substance or device that may be legally questionable or outlawed or physically harmful to the Hosts health or that of other guests or members of the Damos. (this may be anything from drugs, alchol, poisons, cigarettes, flamethrowers etc. all by the Host's discrecition). 5) A Host may ask the following of a personal rule of hygiene or social concept be folowed by a guest while within the home, celebration, ritual, lands etc (EX: the removal of shoes before entering the house, the washing of hands, maintaining a low level of noise due to someone else sleeping, sharing in the breaking of bread, etc by the host's discretion). 6) Both Host and Guest are bound by a rule of trust - none shall carry out violance of a physical or psychic nature against those present or they shall be in violation of the rules of Hospitality and nullify all such rules at that point. 7) Neither Host nor guest shall steal from the other - either doing such shall be in violation of the rules of Hospitality and they shall be annulled at that point. 8) The Host may ask one service of the guest if they are to share meal, sleep within the hosts area, or in other words impose on the host in any manner. This service cannot require the leaving of the hosts area, nor be of an illegal, personally distasteful or harmful way, but will most probably be of a simple manner (and not the tasks set out historiclly in legend) such as assisting with the setting of the table, chopping of wood for the fire, etc. This is not mandatory, simply suggested in conceptial context of the original Mycenaean Society. 9) The Host and guest, if of different religions, will not seek to force their beliefs upon the other - discussion is allowed, but not obvious attempts to convert or prostilitize. 10) The Host and guest (and members of the Hosts Damos) will not seek to force their affections on each other sexually - this does not rule out flirtation, involvement or seduction, but does rule out harrasement, forced sex and rape. If a person says they are not interested then their word is final and any further consideration should be personally curbed. Violation of this rule invalidates the rules of hospitality in the situation. 11) The Host may request of a Guest reinbursement for any supplies that have been used in the feeding or entertainment of the guest that are considered excessive. Additionally a guest is expected to repay any bills of an excessive nature (such as those of long distance telephone calls) that they are responsible for. 12) A Guest at Ritual is expected to accept the Authority of the officiaries within the ritual area as absolute, and shall not question their authority or actions while within the ritual area. Nor shall a Guest seek to disrupt a ritual from within or from outside of it while it is being carried out. 13) A Guest is expected to provide a gift for a host or the hosts Damos when visiting for ritual (A food dish or libation is the common practice) or celebration. This is waved if not more than one days notice has been given or if the Guest claims a truly impoverish condition in their own life. The above may seem simplistic, obvious or unnecessary, but I feel it is important that we have a set of rules for those who cannot see the obvious and to protect all involved. Further, I'd like to request that any member of the Laos who has had the Rules violated by a Host or Guest (especially those rules dealing with violence, Forced affection, theft etc) to report them by name to me, anyone who has been found in such violation with witnesses by members of any three Damosi will be reported as such and publicized by us internally to be avoided as Guest or Host (and of course, if a legal violation occurs any Host is welcome to report them as such to the authorities). Remember that a Guest or host cannot be considered held by the rules of Hospitality if they have not seen them and agreed to them beforehand. Feel free to suggest that other Neo-pagan groups accept these rules themselves - this does not have to be just a Myceneaen only concept. ETHICS & CONCEPTS OF CONDUCT ---------------------------- You take, by using this work and collection of beliefs and the title of Myceneaen Priest or Priestess, the responsibility for your own life and actions in it. Every time you make a decision in life you are exercising your freedom and are responsible for your actions. With knowledge and power come great responsibility, to yourself, your Damos, your Waxan, the Laos, your homeland, your birth family, the human race and that of the entire planet. There are no 'evil' forces manipulating you or your actions, no devils or demons exist save in the minds of others (and if any do exist in your own mind then you must cast them out). No amount of alchol, drugs or influence shall change the fact that you are still responsible for what you choose to do and not to do. Yes, we recognize that there are forces beyond our ability to fully conceive in this reality, that at times the gods and the goddesses might interfere with our lives, remember that there is something to be learned from each success and every failure, that they do not wish you to suffer - they simply wish you to learn and advance to one day rise above the need for the state of being what you are at present - bound within a limiting fleshly body for this cycle and for each you have and will have given to you until you have learned all this existance can teach and advance to a level where you may enjoin with the gods and see beyond our present.