>"Report on the Orlanthi", from "King of Sartar":
>"In the old days, failure at a fierce wilderness initiation test resulted in
>the death of the youths who failed. Among modern Sartarites, with mixed
>gender rites and desanctified ceremony, failure results only in the
>expulsion and outlawry of the child. "
>
>So some part of the rites at least is mixed gender. Though I wonder what was
>meant by "desanctified ceremony"?
If "the old days" are pre-Lunar invasion the modern version may be a show put on for Lunar eyes. Probably based on Ernaldan rites as they're accepable to the occupiers. In fact "failure" may be those youngsters who are clearly chosen by Orlanth and the "expulsion" is a way of getting them out of sight.
The real initiation occurs in secret either before or after.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
Powered by hypermail