I need clarification of terms in cultural anthro?

Question

I am reading " Viking Age Iceland " by Jesse Byock and he is talking about the early society of Iceland.

what is the difference between a "big man" and a "chieftain"?

Also what is the difference between a republic, free state, and commonwealth?

Answer 1

1-The big man, praised for ther style yet ridiculed for vacuity, often moved naive listeners with rhetoric alone and led them to believe that her speech had substance.

2- A chieftain has been called treacly, although most of them are not so sentimental so as to deserve that description

Answer 2

a big man and chieftain are labels for leaders of tribe - chiefdom sized populations.  chieftain is a more formally recognized position while big man is more of a de facto leader. big men also tend to be in smaller than chiefdom sized groups.