Tale of Hunnock

How Hunnock's relationship with his household god deteriorated and the god cursed his family.

Hunnock was a farmer on the banks of the Storrow, a daywalk or so from Morton. He farmed the same lands as his father and grandfather before him and the farm had always prospered for they looked to their household god and their household god looked after them. But Hunnock took this good fortune for granted, for had it not always been his family's lot? As Hunnock neared middle age his wife of 20 years sickened and died for which Hunnock reproached his household god saying "What good is a household go that looks not after the household?" and he began to miss the observances of Hearthtime and Evens.
If this had been for drink or sloth then that alone could explain why the fortunes of Hunnock's farm began to falter; animals sicken, crops fail and such like. But Hunnock rose each day before hearthtime and laboured the day through. And in time all that he touched failed. The hedges he rebuilt lets stock through, the crops he sowed failed, the well he dug was dry but the cellars always damp and often flooded. 
His brother, who would visit the farm each year saw the change in Hunnock and his fortunes and seeing nothing work with his actions on the land reasoned that his actions at the heart had alienated the household god. But though he had been brought up on the farm, the Rite of Passing had been said over him when he moved to Morton and he could not intercede with the household god. But he did persuade Hunnock to restart the daily rituials to honour the household god. Hunnock did this with ill grace and the household god responded accordingly - the farm's situation improved but it remained a poor farm beset by ill luck.
Hunnock sought the advice of a Godsman but even Narravine could not dislodge the bad luck for their household god had been of the household over many generations. After five years, when his child was 24 he left the farm to dwell near his brother, in Morton, and form then on the fortunes of the farm improved for although his daughter did not have many of his skills and had to hire where her father would have done a better job himself she did not have the enmity of the household god that Hunnock had gained for himself.

What this tells us about the Household Gods

The Tale of Hunnock tells us that the household gods must be respected. It also gives a clear warning to those whose gods have long supported their family for the god could not be dislodged. It had been three long enough to be the truer owner than Hunnock and so it stayed and he, eventually, left. But for all its dislike of Hunnock it still felt itself tied to the household an to have some responsibility. Where the difficulty in dislodging the god was a downside of the god's long link with the household, its longer term loyalty meant that with Hunnock gone the old prosperity returned. If Narravine had succeeded would the godless house have faired better? Could a beneficent replacement be found? That is a hard question for in cases like this, new gods can also be tricky.

Spread of the Tale

The Tale of Hunnock is one of the better known stories about managing household gods and the importance of maintaining a good relationship with them. It is deeply studied by many Godsmen as they learn their trade and most people have heard it several times, usually in childhood as a cautionary tale - indeed versions of it have been recorded in comic verse and tragic song and in the regions around Morton Tithing, failing to give your household god due respect is often referred to as "hunnocking".