Editing Ironborn (section)

===Thralldom===
Captives taken during raids become [[thrall]]s bound to their captors in service. Unlike the [[slaves]] in the [[Free Cities]], these thralls are no man's property. They are allowed to marry and have children, who, if born on the [[Iron Islands]], are considered to be ironborn.{{Ref|AFFC|29}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}}

Most male thralls are set to work in the fields or the mines, tasks the ironborn consider to be done by “lesser men”, for their entire lives &ndash; although the situation in the mines usually results in a shorter life-span. Thralls who are able to read, write, and do sums are instead set to work as stewards, tutors, and scribes. Skilled craftsmen, like stonemasons, are considered to be of even more value.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}} Older women are made into scullions, cooks, seamstresses, weavers, or midwives, although they are not often taken on raids. Fair maidens and girls near their first [[flowering]] are most often taken captive on raids, becoming serving girls, whores, or household drudges upon the isles.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}}

The fairest of the young girls taken as thralls are made into [[salt wife|salt wives]] by their captors.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}} In a ceremony performed by a priest of the [[Drowned God]], the girl and her captor are “wed”.{{Ref|ACOK|11}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}} A man can join himself to multiple salt wives, the number of which speaks to his power, wealth, and virility.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}} The children born from such a [[marriage]] are not considered to be [[bastard]]s, but instead can inherit should their father have no surviving sons by his true, freeborn [[rock wife]] from the Iron Islands.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}}