Re: "Three Evil Trades"

From: Topi Pitkänen <topi.pitkanen_at_helsinki.fi>
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 20:24:11 +0200

Thank You Matthew, and John especially for the full Jerra myth.

So, I managed to notice the common source "The Jonstown Triads" for "Three Evil Trades". The relevant entries in DP:LoT seem to be: Jerra Hill, Feyghost River->Nymie Vale, Orvano Hills->Belen Hills.

***

Not for the first time sorting the mythic fragments made me wonder the names and titles they are filled with. What do they mean? How does one work them for heroquesting? How the meanings can be learned?

In "Three Evil Trades" appears among others.

TreeBurner - is this the Yavor javelin / the GreatFulguration spear
           - or the terrible Zorak Zoran crisping Tallseed Forest
           - or even Dagaralobran Oakfed burning Chaos and everything

Could it be any one of the above when on a heroquest? Or is/was/maybe Treeburner Jerra met something else entirely?

EverBlazing Token - that's the trade, what was it about?

Golod The Most Ugly - king-of-the-fishes in heortling myth KoS:pg 84 LBQ - Sea Journey
As who/what would he be recognized in merfolk mythos?

etc.
The names imply a lot but tell nothing. This is certainly useful for securing secrets necessary for heroquesting from uninitiated. And if I take the YGWV approach, I have a load of intresting elements I am well able to build my games on. Yet I'm fishing here on the digest for more bits and peaces - and perhaps for the picture.

***

There are some greater questions that have arisen from my suddenly flared up intrest on the "Three Evil Trades".

Does "The Jonstown Triads" present a method of understanding (more than just recording) the timeless logic of myth tides? Supposedly the turbulent age of vingkotlings and Long Night.

What is the key issue about "Three Evil Trades"? By what logic are these events connected to each other? In two of the myths there is central object/power that something is traded for. I don't know what the gods got in exchange from Turim the Giant, for handing out Voria, but I believe there was some pretty thing involved. Could these magics be accessed through understanding the "Three Evil Trades" myths? Who would do such a thing?

The last question above is almost rhetorical of course.

***

I feel I'd appreciate a few more guidelines before embarking on a quest of running a game and/or making my mind about the subject. Is it preferable to stick into single cultural/mythical approach when thinking of: the myths and their meaning vs. quests and outcomes?

Myths that take persons admist the gods war might not present themselves from a single otherworldly point of wiev, do they?

For example (for some reasons that unprofoundly have mostly to do with similarity in the names) I find intuitive appeal in thinking Turim the Giant to be heortling perspective of the Pelandan Turos who liberated Oria from Hell.

But I'm unsure if I have the bollocks to do such a HeroQuest challenge!

-Topi Pitkanen

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