In message <20040422010103.85865.qmail_at_...> Chris Lemens writes:
>Oliver:
>> I was thinking that the people getting
>> married originally could be Roganvarth
>> Penterestsson & Rana Riverlocks. But
>> this added twist just makes the whole
>> business more tragic/interesting.
>>
>> During the Shargashi assault Rana was down
>> inside the Tor and was dragged off to Hell
>> along with the Shargashi when the Sea
>> flooded their tunnel. So she's fought her
>> way back through Hell, Alkoth and across
>> half of Genertela to get back to Roganvarth's
>> side only to find him getting married to
>> someone else! (Taking a season or two do
>> this of course).
>>
>> But who is Roganvarth marrying?
>
>
>I've always been facinated by the middle eastern
>notion that a man has an obligation to marry his
>widowed sister-in-law. So, maybe Roganvarth's brother
>dies in the same event or near the same time. And
>maybe Rana has a bunch of kids. And maybe Roganvarth
>comes from a clan that everyone else thinks is
>particularly backwards, so think him really
>old-fashioned to feel bound to marry the
>sister-in-law. That would keep Roganvarth blameless,
>allowing for interesting deployment of "Know Heortling
>Culture" and "Know Precedent" and "Know Obscure Myths"
>types of abilities, as well as Rhetoric, Persuade
>Anyone, etc.
The practice was also common in Anglo-Saxon England until the
church stepped in and pronounced it incest. I'm not sure the
clan structure of Orlanthi society would need that practice -
a wife, particularly with children, is part of her husband's
clan so the brother-in-law would have clan responsibilty anyway.
>And, since it is a difference between the laws of
>different clans, Broyan has to decide, which means
>political problems . . .
Oh, there are three different clans involved, one isn't even of
Broyon's tribe so they count as guests with all the ramifications
that involves.
--
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/