guest right
Visitor's sacred protection
Guest right is the ancient custom of mutual obligation between host and guest—the host provides shelter and protection, the guest behaves respectfully and causes no harm.
The concept appears across many cultures and is especially prominent in fantasy literature, where violating guest right constitutes a grave transgression: They murdered him under their own roof, breaking guest right.
The term implies sacred duty on both sides, making betrayal during hospitality particularly heinous.
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- blood oathVow sealed by bloodshed
- thresholdPoint of beginning
- breadLeavened flour product
- saltSodium chloride compound
shelter · protection · oath · traveler · hearth · welcome · bread and salt · custom · sanctuary · feast · stranger · safe passage · roof · obligation · ancient · ancient custom · violation · gods