The topic is mirrored in historical and ethnological perspectives in the political, economic and social structures of Southern Carinthia’s pre–modern agrarian society. Starting from Foucault’s theory, that power in a disciplined society is exercised not only vertically, but at all levels of society, we present here the mechanisms and retention of power by local and regional authorities (e.g. landed classes and church) in the German–Slovenian mixed language area between Hermagor and Villach. Customary rights exactly observed by the subjects set limits to arbitrary and deliberate breaches of law by elites. Traditional rights applied not only to the elites but also to individual members of local and other village communities (incl. elites). The most significant place of legal judgement was the annual court day (Taiding), which was chaired by elites and judgement took place with representatives
of the local subjects until the modern era. Particularly evident are the mechanisms of authoritative regulation and discipline, which concern fighting and in particular how violations of the sixth commandment were punished, in view of those provisions
