> >I thought of the Raven as the Scout of Humath, who first found Death
> >for him
> ...because Raven may be thinking: "Hey! If I give this to that grim guy,
> there'll be dead bodies everywhere for me to eat! I'll be set!" <g>
> Spreading Death = Well-Fed Raven.
I did not actually think of that, but its a good idea.
>
> >and as a presage of him becoming Trickster, or perhaps he
> >everywhere IS the Trickster, I envisage him as wise-cracking and
> >sarcastic, the down-to-earth counterpart to Humath's honour and
> Hmm. Regarding the difference between western and Praxian (et. al) ravens:
> maybe the Western ravens are seen as sedate, mystic and menacing by
> Western society (ala "The Crow." Which, BTW, used a raven... or as in
> Scandinavia, where ravens were seen as symbols of death and knowledge, but
> _not_ of trickery as far as I know).
No, that part is played by the Magpie and to a certain extent the
Crow.
But I did not really think of the Ralian Raven as the Trickster, but
just as somewhat Trickster-like (which can be said of Orlanth as
well). I also had the more sinister idea of Raven being the mouth of
Humath - the Death God rarely speaks in myths, always communicating
through his pet/sidekick/Other Self, the Raven.
Note that ravens lay their eggs and hatch them in the winter, or at
least very early in the spring - and Humath is a god of cold winds,
"death winds" as opposed to those who bear warm weather and
life-giving rain.
> (Now, let the silliness begin)
> Now, of course, what awaits MTF (maximum trickster fun) in your campaign,
> Erik, is to have a powerful trickster _reintroduce_ trickster elements
> into the Ralian spirit of ravens. Humakti everywhere discover that their
> familiars turn into little dynamos of defecation and destruction.
> Whoo-boy. Imagine the horror on your player's faces -- just when they
> thought that _these_ birds were different, the horror begins anew...
>
> Probably not true, but _boy_ would it be fun...
My players will kill you for this :-)
Erik Sieurin