Re: Re: Apple Lane

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 14:01:52 -0800

> A long time ago there was talk of how, if one could actually see Orlanth
> in his truest aspect for the holder of the storm rune, it would not be a
> young warrior or a fatherly man but a terrifying, soul blasting,
> maelstorm of raw energy. Enough to quite literally destroy a mortal mind
> just by it's presense.
>
> And Uleria is at least as primal as that, being a survivor of the
> Celestial Court.
>
> Then again, most people are not blasted insane by worship of Orlanth
> (Lunar claims nonwithstanding). At least in my take of Esrolia young
> people often worship Uleria, and this certainly gives them something
> like medium artillery for the "battle of the sexes". :)

Most people don't worship Primal Orlanth. That's what Aspects are for (and subcults, and heroes...). The farther way from the "One True Orlanth" you get (or the One True Ernalda, or One True Humakt, any of the other gods) the easier it is to identify with him. It is much easier to identify with "Flying Orlanth" or "Orlanth the Nice Daddy" or "Orlanth the Farmer" than with the power of Storm, Male Fertility, Rebirth, Culture, Right-Thinking, Anti-Chaos, Conservative Radicalism, and Movement.

Who is to say that one is *not* blasted insane when they learn the game-leaving Secret of Great Orlanth? Or blasted sane, for that matter, or transcend Sanity & Insanity entirely (True Gloranthan Mysticism, not the weak HW version)?

You'll note that no-one advocates worship of the Red Moon instead of her aspects Natha, Rufelza, Taraltara. Or the Sun instead of Yelm's aspects/Sons.

Uleria is too primal to be worshipped directly by sane people (so are Orlanth et al.). Instead, she can be seen in part in Orlanthdovar, Niskis, Durev, Orane, Vela, etc. A temple to Uleria can either be a Temple to an aspect, or a wierdness so vast that it warps everything around it.

RR