> **
>
>
> > Yet we've had a scenario where a Sartarite clan suffered because two of
> the
> > members accidentally committed incest, so that notion is found in at
> least
> > some cultures. And a great deal of effort has been spent on the marriage
> > customs of various Gloranthan cultures, which are partly to avoid the
> very
> > problem of inbreeding. It's an established problem in Glorantha.
>
> That Sartarites have a problem with incest only shows that Sartarite
> culture has not the
> myths to deal with it. It's a big jump to assume that the problem is
> common among
> Gloranthan cultures in general. It's not even likely that other cultures
> share the Sartarite
> definition of incest. Bear in mind that much of the RW definitition of
> incest has nothing to do
> with problems of inbreeding but was introduced by the medieval Christian
> church for
> financial reasons. Nor can we assume that the problems of inbreeding seen
> in the RW are
> the same as those in Glorantha. I could even argue that it is not incest
> that brings chaos to
> Skullpoint but kinstrife.
>
> As for RW cultures and the incest taboo, it existed long before the
Medieval church; the Oedipus trilogy is an example. And the statement
about incest on p.33 of *Gathering Thunder* indicates that most Gloranthan
cultures recognize it as taboo.
Guy (Hoyle)
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