Mastakos, Ernalda's rebirth

From: Loren Miller <loren_at_hops.wharton.upenn.edu>
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 10:03:53 -0500 (EST)


I vote that Michael Raaterova (sp?) should continue posting, even if he has to post occasional =3D20s and the like. I've got to say I'm glad he got it fixed, mostly, with the last bit he sent in.

MASTAKOS Horseback is NOT the preferred means of travel in Sartar or anyplace else, except for those who have access to relay stations with fresh horses waiting for their tired mounts, or for mounted nomads. Walking is the preferred means of travel. A human can walk any domestic (and most wild) animals into exhaustion, our two legs are vastly more efficient than a horse or dog's four. How do you think native americans caught the wild horses that descended from the leavings of the spanish? They walked after the horses until the horses were exhausted, and then tamed them. IMHO, given that Mastakos is the god of chariots, then it must be because he is either the god of the wheel, or the god of the old-time, chariot-mounted, heavy cavalry. Or... he could be the god of travel by any means. The movement rune looks like a three legged being, after all. I think this means that Mastakos is at least partly the patron of walkers, perhaps part of his old function as messenger has been taken over by Issaries Herald.

ERNALDA'S REBIRTH Unlike Michael, I think that the rebirth ceremonies for Ernalda take place at the *end* of the winter, and not in the middle. There's ample historical precedent on our own earth for this. April used to be the beginning of the year. In fact the phrase April Fool arose because some people insisted on celebrating the new year three months after everybody else, on April 1 instead of January 1, as they had done before they adopted the Roman calendar.

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