Re: Glorantha Digest V1 #54 from GAWINTER_at_aol.com on 1994-12-14 (Glorantha Digest Vol 01)

From: GAWINTER_at_aol.com
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 1994 09:12:54 -0500

> This implies that each individual god has a unique
> rune structure.

I think originally GS & co. believed it, certainly in RQ2 CoT CoP we followed that assumption, but there are so many gods now and a limited number of runes that it is scarcely possible. For example River Gods, Zola Fel's runes are Movement & Water, this is probably the rune combination for most normal rivers. Perhaps the Oslir has Harmony & Water, to reflect its tamed state. But think of all of the other rivers, they can't all have unique combinations, or they would conflict with Sea Gods. I think rather than reducing the number of gods they will continue to increase as the current Gloranthan philosophy calls for ever more fragmented & diverse divinities.

> What are the runes for Yannafil Tarnils?
I add moon to any "healed" lunar god as a symbol of their conversion & to differentiate them from the original god, so most likely Death Truth Moon. But Death & Truth is fine (just not Death Death Truth).

> We have these myths and stories and such about the
> gods, but do we know that they really relate to an actual physical form
> of the god?

If everything is subjective, Glorantha need not have gods now or ever have had them in the past, the Gloranthans just need to _believe_ that they exist and existed. Gloranthans believe that the incarnated gods performed their mythical actions in godtime, much in the same way we perform mundane actions in our time. In fact we can heroquest to godtime and watch them do it, worship services often allow initiates glimpses of their gods in action. Therefore I would reccomend answering the question from the Theist worshippers POV, which is absolute belief in the reality of their gods, & their mythical actions.