Re: Devotion to the Myth Cycle

From: Todd Gardiner <todd.gardiner_at_mwXc3eAYD_J0NB8r93tu0KjwmfmECrMtt-z8AK1cyQvLhaMpvaMvHeQKIYvCEX>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:05:20 -0800

There is no distinction in Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes; mostly because there is only a two-three paragraphy blurb on this cult. (In fact, they don't even list each of the Seven Mothers by name, if I recall.)

I would suggest that the cult of Seven Mothers does not have as much representation north of Holay as it does in the former Orlanthi lands.

As for ILH2, the Lunar religion is an effective glue to hold together the disparate cultures and religions of the empire. As long as everyone keeps ties as a "lay member" (or whatever) in the Lunar religion, he/she seems to be free to devote to Lodril or obscure Rinliddi bird gods. Or to remain animists as part of the Sable Tribe. I get the feeling that outside of Silver Shadows, the Lunar religion is a minority for main religious practice.

--Todd

On Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 1:36 PM, L C <lightcastle_at_Qj66aoyAcZG1bTnZNkiOvCJv_b_4XMTjmozJCBRHZWFUbINggkxV9Fn_z6yvfTKFk5r5bA5IGaqDWofp2fU.yahoo.invalid> wrote:

>
>
> Todd Gardiner wrote:
> > It is my belief that the cult of the Seven Mothers is only aiming at
> getting
> > the barbarians to become laymembers. It isn't too concerned with
> achieving a
> > collection of initiates from these hinterlands. Just so long as we get
> them
> > out of their "incorrect" ways, they will eventually learn to accept full
> > worship of Sedenya.
> >
> That makes quite a bit of sense. I do seem to recall some Hero Wars
> stuff involving the cult having its own magic for initiates and
> devotees, though.
>
> > For those that do initiate to the "Seven Mothers" cult, they are actually
> > initiating to the Red Goddess, and possibly also into one of the seven
> > sub-cults of this cult.
> >
> *nod*
> Whether lunar progression follows "initate/devotee" is debatable (even
> without bringing up ILH2) but yes, at some point it seems getting deeper
> means switching over to a more "properly Lunar" version.
> It might make sense to view Seven Mothers as a specific path of
> layperson that then dovetails into the "real" cults.
>
> > Just as Barntar is worshiped as an independent god in some locations, but
> > usually as a subcult of Orlanth, the Seven Mothers are (in this case)
> merely
> > sub-cults of the overall cult, which sacrifices to the Red Goddess.
> >
> Well, yes. But there was a distinction made in previous works between
> the individual cults of the seven mothers and the Provincial Church,
> which taught worship of the seven mothers in a way for Barbarians to
> understand.
>
> LC
>
>
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]