Land existed without monetary cost but had even worse costs associated with it - you had to defend it from other humans who would roll in and kill you for it.

Land existed without monetary cost but had even worse costs associated with it - you had to defend it from other humans who would roll in and kill you for it. Or, you couldn't do anything to access certain land, because the people who controlled it thought you said shibboleth the wrong way and would kill you if you tried to use that land.