Basic Information
A guild is a type of private members association that rose to prevalence during the European middle ages - although similar institutions existed in other places and times.
The most famous guilds were those formed within specific professions, crafts or merchant trades - essentially cartels that controlled the supply of a given good or service for the benefit of the providers, dividing up markets and fixing prices. Officially or unofficially a guild would also control who could work at a given business within their territory - often by paying the Crown for a Royal Monopoly of the business, allowing them to bring the force of law to bear against dissenters.
Membership was conditional on observing the laws and institutions of the guild and these traditionally included some form of quality control inspection to insure that work was being done in a way that wouldn't bring the guild as a whole into disrepute or threaten their priviledges.
Guilds also operated primitive forms of life and health insurance for their members, frequently ran schools for members children and provided retirement and dependants benefits. Given the medieval mindset, these tended to include collective religious observances, corporate charity and/or the endowment of religious institutions and masses for the dead.
Guilds could also often be seen holding formal public processions on relevant feast days1 and sometimes funding public performances such as mystery plays as well.
The money for this was collected both by voluntary subscription and by membership fees levied on the members of the guild.
Traditionally a man2 entered the guild as an apprentice in his early teens and worked under indenture to a master of the guild for a set number of years3, after which he was examined and, if satisfactory passed as a journeyman.
The etymology of 'journeyman' was actually based on the fact that he was now fit to be employed at the guild day-rate (from the French 'journee'), but in many traditions he was also expected to journey - to travel about working for various masters and learning new skills.
Eventually a sucessful journeyman could apply for the position of master - full member of the guild with a right to accept apprentices and employ journeymen. This, again, was by examination by existing masters (who would sometimes refuse to pass a man who had upset them or might provide unwanted competition) and, in the craft guilds at least, required the presentation of a high quality sample of work (a 'masterpiece') for assessment. Entry into the rank of master normally also required the payment of a fee. From amongst the masters of a given guild the syndics were elected, who represented the guild in its dealings with other public bodies.
de facto by a joint member.
Besides the craft guilds and guild merchants, there were also social guilds - societies of like minded men formed for charitable purposes or some form of mutual advantage. Not being devoted to any one trade, profession or other business they cut across the boundaries of other guilds and could be joined by those who already had a membership in a 'work' guild. Social guilds tended to be less formal and heirarchical and their rituals could vary from the ornate to the silly. Most of the social guilds had some kind of religious gloss and were not infrequently named for one or more saints, but actual religious fervour could vary widely.
In charter towns the guild syndics were normally the people who provided the burgesses for the town council - whether the social guilds were included or not would depend on the town; although they could be represented
The idea of a "thieves guild" is persistent in fantasy literature - although any historical trace is problematic at best - these should probably fall between craft and social guilds and probably won't have public processions on the day of their patron saint.
Today, the guilds mostly survive in the shape of organisations like the London Livery Companies, the Rotarians and various professional trade bodies. Some would argue that the trade unions have inhereted part of their legacy as well, particularly in the matter of closed shop employment and the fixing of wages, but given that a union is generally solely for employees, rather than being an association of small businessmen, this generally doesn't stand up.
The term 'guild' can also be found in those British Universities founded by Industrial Magnates (such as Birmingham) … obviously the students there would not have anything as subversive as a "Student's Union" … so a "Guild of Students" was established instead.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- With their traditional monopolies guilds can be a pain in the ass to PCs who want to get something done - you cannot bid for a lower price (because the guild fixes that) or go to a competitor (he's in the guild as well, or forbidden to work). Guild's merchant are particularly annoying for players who are used to free market capitalism and can't understand why they can't sell their goods in the town square at any price they like.
- On the other hand, a guild might reward someone with honourary membership in return for a favour - particularly if those people are travellers unlikely to re-appear.
- Being in a guild could also give a traveller a claim to hospitality, either with his peers of the guild or at the guild house (if practicable).
- Historically there weren't any guilds for fighters, wizards etc. but that is easily changed - indeed a 'fighter's guild' to regulate mercenary activity would seem to be an obvious missed opportunity for various medieval monarchs: anyone who isn't either an armigerous noble, one of their bannermen or otherwise 'establishment' is obliged to be a member if they want to wander about armed.
- A beggar's guild, like a thieves guild, would probably be pretty unofficial and likely to be more of a frame of reference term4 than a true organisation.
