Deane Goltermann Feb 17, 2016:

Thanks! Not to belabor this, but to highlight my view that the word bond/bonde in most historical contexts likely doesn't refer to 'peasants' but to the landowning farmer class (and perhaps 'torpare' also).

My sons called the chess piece 'peasant' (not pawn) also highlighting the issue. Nowadays, we now pawn with it's negative connotations, but historically it comes from usage as 'foot soldier'.

Deserves a good discussion over a beer...

Timoshka (asker) Feb 14, 2016:

Other reference I just found another reference via Google, as follows: "Psalmen var nära slut, då Hellmer tyst, och med full föresats att förblifva obemärkt, inträdde i kyrkan och tog sin plats i en bondbänk nära dörren." If a bondbänk could be found in a church, it probably wouldn't have been too rustic or cheap...or would it? Just another bit of information to confuse the issue!