I second the thought that city-dwellers are mstically oriented,=20
country-people not. I would like to ruminate a little upon this, however.
First thing is, Kralorela got to have the biggest AND the most efficient=20
bureaucracy in Glorantha. "Efficient bureacracy? Is not that a=20
contradiction in terms?" Well, we have just talked about agricultural=20
magics, haven't we? What about governmental magics? Rituals for a good reig=
n
under a healthy king exists in the real world, and I am sure they exist in
Glorantha as well - they are probably even mentioned somewhere already,=20
it is just that I cannot remember any instances of it.
So I think it is here a lot of the magic of Godunya and the exarchs, and=20
perhaps the mystical musings of their mandarin underlings is=20
concentrated. Papers get lost less often, applications are more justly trat=
ed
(or rather, treated more according to protocol), bribes are more uncommon e=
tc
than you would believe in this culture, after seeing the earthly ones.
Bribes, yes. Brings to mind an idea of a concept for the Kralorelan=20
sorcerer, the bad magician. This is the civil servant who uses the=20
prescribed rituals, meditations and processes of keeping the Empire
stable and efficient in the wrong way! Remember that guy from up Kingdom=20
of Ignorance (I think) who hopes that one day he will become king of the=20
universe by getting the Sun God (Dragon?) hooked up on Black Lotus dust?
Those Kralorelan priests and shamans (as noted primarily of the countryside=
)=20
probably go about their summonings of various spirits and godlings in a
formal manner very reminiscent of their interactions with the local
buraucrats.
"Venerable Fu-tsen, most hospitable Higher Assisting=20
Protector of the Mulberry Bushes, we would be eternally grateful for
your help in protecting our crop, sending your spiders to=20
devour the bugs who now is ruining it. According to the Treaty made by=20
emperor Wan Lan, we are allowed only one interference from Your Venerable
self each decade, since Qui Loi, the protector and mother of=20
the mulberrybush devouring larvae, is also a daughter of the fright ful=20
Insect Dragoness. with which the treaty was made. However, know that if our
application is not seconded, we eill have no choice but to turn to Riam Ma,
mother of the spotted lizard. By a merciful coincidence, Her subject love=
=20
devouring spiders, and brother Hsu at my side happens to have an old=20
treaty with her people up at the Reptile Department of Heaven.But of=20
course such coarse proceedings will not be needed. Me remain always your=20
faithful servants."
Sorry for carrying this thread in absurdum, but I just realised, that=20
with heaven a meritocratic buraucracy, the important part is the post,=20
not whoever has it. So, this guy may be the Thunder God now, but what=20
does that matter? He has not always been so - the office has existed,=20
yes, but it was held by another godling, who has since been raised to a=20
higher plane as reward for his services (becoming more draconic, less=20
antropomorphic/humanlike?). And before HIM, there was another godling,=20
who failed in his duties, created thunder at the Most Unappropriate Time,=
=20
being bribed by the sorcerers of the Animal People. He was most justly=20
removed from his post and got the obscure post of Turnip Boy of the Wuachan=
g
province.... From this develops of course the idea that there is only=20
a post, and only ignorant peasants think there is anyone behind it...
Another Kralorelan thread: Man=3DMystical, Woman=3DPractical. Why? Well, I=
=20
have only two examples:
1. Yan Xi/Long, the golden Emperor, who is followed by mystics mostly becau=
se
of his connections with life after death (Am I hallucinating here, or is=20
there a reference in "Immortal Wisdom..." to Yelm being the teacher of the
"resurrection paths"?)
contra
Deng Xi, no Long (the RW term for "dragon" is similar to that, so I would=
=20
think that "xi" is Kralorelan for "god" and "long" is "dragon" - was that=
=20
your thought, Nils?). She is (IMO) the mightiest "god" around, but she is=
=20
still only a GOD - a crude antropomorphisation of the mystical principles=
=20
of growth and family unity. She helpls farmers with quite mundane tasks.=20
like raising their MP when they are home :-).
2. The children of Aptanace the Sage. His umpteen sons invented all the=20
umpteen arts of civilisation
contra
his daughters, who married their brothers and applied those arts to=20
practical life.
Dara Happan farmers:
Dara Happan farmers? I got the impression Dara Happan is a city culture.=20 Dendara I thought of as servile wife to all those stuffy Yelmic noblemen=20 and Lokarnos merchants, who like to keep their wifes A, n line and B, in=20 doors. I like the idea of the Pelorians thinking of the earth goddess of=20their overlords being a noblewoman palying at farming.... She does appears in those seasonal rites of the Pelorians, tho, along with _Eiritha_! Must mean "goddess of cattle". Or come to think of it, did she come in with the nomads from Pent - is she worshipped there under that or a similar name?
Dave Cake:
Agree about history unchangable, myth changeable. Won't flame any oppositio=
n
(like Jonas) but may carry Jonas' gasoline. :-)
Cheers,
Erik
Powered by hypermail