This small crossroads in the Mür Valley is owned by the Bishop of Seckau, and lies a scant 8 miles away along the main road from the Abbey to the west. The first Saturday of each month, weather permitting, a market is held in the fields around Leoben, attracting peasants from all along the Mür valley, particularly nearby Bruck (10 miles downriver to the east), numerous villages of the Mür valley such as Hofer, Seeweisen, Bosl and Plauen, and even peasants from the Enns valley to the north (Admont Abbey, Eisenertz, and Rottenmann). The village itself is not large at all, but more than doubles in size for each market. Most of the peasants depart well before dusk, and those that remain for the night are invariably drunkards or beggars.
On these Saturdays the village overflows with pedlars and rustic peasants milling about admiring the wares, and beggars, who are invariably expelled by Brother Gregory.
Wastel (white bread) is one of the prizes of the market, along with cheeses, lettuces, cabbages, carrots, hazelnuts from Admont, herring from the north (dried and salted), and wool. Beans are always most plentiful. Hand-spun clothes are also to be found here, along with the shoes of Sigimund of Bosl. Bartering is a common means of transacting.
This nervous monk comes as a representative of Seckau Abbey to observe each market, offer morning Mass to the arriving peasants, and making certain the Bishop's rules are followed. He takes his resonsibilities quite seriously, and though loathe to punish any transgressors, he does so at once and quickly that they be rid of as a problem. His greatest power is to expel someone from the market, and three mercenaries loyal to the Bishop attend him bearing the red coat of the Abbey.
He used to ride a nobly adorned horse to each market, but has learned to avoid such pompous behaviour among the villagers and instead walks, though takes a donkey with him to carry any goods back. Two servants assist.
His first action at the commencement of each market is to peruse the goods and take some of them as a tax by the Bishop.
Normally these street urchins can only be found during the market, harrassing passers-by just outside of the village with pitiful pleas for alms or food for their empty bellies.
This middle-aged man manages to acquire Schnapps from the Enns valley, taking trips across the Niedere Tauern as required, and reselling it at the Market. He stutters, hence his name. A humble man, he brushes aside any criticism, thinking his life is pretty good. He has arranged to sell some of his wares to Rabenstein each market, one of the few customers he has who can pay good king's silver regularly.
Has been accused of cheating his customers by baking large holes of air into his loaves, and was thrown in the river twice. So far his greatest punishment has been the seizure of his loaves by Brother Gregory (who gave them away). He is defensive now, and tries to make his bread the best around.
The Marshall of Leoben, appointed by the Canons of Seckau in the absence of the Bishop. He served in the Third Crusade and bores villagers with his overbearing tales of hardships and glory. He is drawn to the grogs of Rabenstein because of the affinity he percieves between them. Each market he tells the tale of the camel he once ate, and how a baby Moor was found when they cut open the beast's hump. He is nicknamed Warthog for his rather ugly demeanor.
These young pretty, eligible girls are the highlight of many a market, coming from Bruck, Eisenertz, and other small villages with their families. Young men flock to them and the only fights that erupt at market always seem to have something to do with one of these girls.
Despite their profession and reputation, this is probably the best opportunity the grogs have to meet and flirt with a young Austrian lass and most of them clamor to attend the monthly market.
This is the eldest woman in Leoben, who attends a small garden of Wysteria and Heather, but rarely leaves her wattle and daub hut. A nest of robins alight on her roof, and even in the warmest weather smoke curls from her chimney and she clutches her shawl close to her frail shoulders. A small sack filled with wheat, beans, and eggshells is nailed to her doorway, and a horseshoe is perched above the entry. Some think her wise and come to her for advice, while others think her senile.
This nun often comes to market from the priory at Unterzeiring. She is a gossip, often looking for sin in others and pointing it out. The villagers treat her much like a commanding school-marm, and give her a wide berth.
These two lads are miners, and caused some trouble by throwing rocks at an ugly village girl named Kath with Polu of Rabenstein. Like many of the miners of the valley, they are crude, mean, poor and childish.
This page last modified 8/16/97.
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