NB> (nobody on this list, I am sure, can see how Orlanth might
>become a bandit, rapist and murderer from a Pelorian perspective).
Oh, certainly not me;-)
DC>Think about who Orlanth was to the Dara Happans - basically, someone whose main mythic act is to murder the Emperor, and be a rebel and outlaw.
This is a topic that has been under much discussion out here in the Seattle-Victoria-Auckland triangle. We've been playing around with trying to make each culture's myths work without introducing conflict from an foreign pantheon. In short, why does the Evil Emperor of the Orlanthi myths always have to be some Solar furriner? And does the Murderer of Yelm (if that myth is even believed) always have to be an unwashed Orlanthi barbarian?
In GROY, the barbarian storm god is referred to as "Oralantus", "Umatum", and "Lanatum", but the murderer of Yelm/Murharzarm is "Rebellius Terminus". Among the Orlanthi/Yelmalians, Yelmalio was wounded by Zorak Zoran, Chaos, Inora, etc. In DH the analagous deity, Antirius, was repeatedly wounded not by enemies, but by his own people when they let him down again and again. (Then there's this other myth where he is wounded by the Cruel God - must be from Saird!)
So, why would a Dara Happan think of the murderer of the Divine Emperor, the destroyer of Justice itself, as the wind god of some silly barbarians? Rebellious Terminus is obviously an evil social force - disobediant sons, ambitious women, unjust leaders, or the unruly masses gone out of control. RT may even occasionally mannifest as an armed barbarian mob. But to go to Raibanth and actually suggest that some foreign storm deity murdered the Almighty Godfather would likely get you a polite cough and your own personal pole and wheel.
From an Orlanthi POV, why should a Heortling carl think of his Elmali brother-in-law as the Evil Emperor, when the Hendriki thane up the valley keeps insisting on another cow every year?
Thoughts?
Pam
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