Re: The Glorantha Digest V8 #24

From: Thomas McVey <tmcvey_at_sric.sri.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 16:02:24 -0800

>
>
> Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 21:31:09 +1200
> From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_bigfoot.com>
> Subject: The problem of Yelmalio
>
> Peter Larsen:
>
> <snip>
> >Certainly Elmal knows who the sun is, and his exact relationship to it.
> >What does he say when the distraught Devotee, who just got his ass kicked
> >by some Solar Hero, begs to know what the deal is?
>
> He says what he always has said, that he is the Sun.

And they asked the Red Sage:
"How can all these gods be the same? How can all be one?".

And the Lunar answered:
"Where does wool come from?"

And they answered:
"That is not an answer to our question"

And the Lunar answered:
"Where does parchment come from"

And they answered:
"That is not an answer to our question"

And the Lunar answered:
"Where does mutton come from?"

And they answered:
"They all come from sheep. What is your answer?"

And the Lunar answered:
"I havegiven it already."

> Whether his
> devotee still believes him in light of his tribulations is a
> different question altogether.

A RW comparison might be the disputes between Islam/Judaism/Christianity. All are supposedly worshipping the same God, but that doesn't stop them from (violently) disagreeing over the specific nature of the God.

"And across the battlefield the nations began to sing "God Save England", "Gott strafe England", God this, and God that, and God the other thing, "My word", said God "I've got my work cut out".

(Can't remember where that comes from)

>
> Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 16:19:22 +0200
> From: Nils Weinander <nils_w_at_yahoo.com>
> Subject: Mythical sources
>
>
> > In nature of Gods, Norse Mythology have more resemblance than Irish Celtic
> > Mythology (which introduced by Jim Fitzpatrick and other booklets about
> > Battle of Moy Tura and Cattle Raid of Cooley:
> > http://www.jimfitzpatrick.ie/mythology/nuada.html)

Ohhh. Nice resource.

> in my opinion, I can
> > write direct line from Edda to Glorantha like Odin=Orlanth,

Nahh, Odin/Woden/Wotan's way too sneaky and untrustworthy compared to Orlanth. Orlanth's flawed, but he's honest.

> Loki=Eurmal,
> > Tyr=Humakt, Thor=Urox?, Bragi=Lhankor, Frigg=Ernalda, etc...
>
> I've heard Greg say that Thor was the major real world mythical
> inspiration for Orlanth.

Borrows from the Greek myths, too, though, of one sky/air god slaying another (Cronos slays Uranus, Zeus slays Cronos in turn).

>
> Nils Weinander

---