Hieratic - hieroglyphic, hmmm, what did you say about dyslectics? Seriously though, when I see the word hieratic I don't generally think of a 'simpler' form of writing just because th _egyptian_ writing form called hieratic is a cursive of the hieroglyphics. I can't say if the word hieratic is used for anything else, but the etymologi of the word makes me think of a 'high script' not a 'low script' as you obviously meant.
Also, I don't quite follow why literacy has to be wide-spread for a
'low script' to develop. You say yourself:
>That the hieratic form evolved out of hieroglyphics pretty quickly i can
>also agree with, but that was because of religious restrictions
>Perhaps i didn't put enough emphasis on the reason i don't think orlanthi
>or LM are that keen on literacy.
And that's a good point, but I maintain that LM as lawspeaker doesn't need literacy, but the Grey Sages do. Remember teh Jonstown compendium frex.
>It started with merchants needing to know what they had in storage and what
>they were shipping in the sealed urns. So they drew little pictures and
>numeral markings on clay tablets and fastened them to the goods.
Is this universally accepted? When I studied ancient history I read that the sumerian writing was developed as the temples grew in power and wealth and needed to keep inventories. OTOH I don't how well developed trade was in 3500 BC Sumer.
Also, the first chinese writing, which seems to be a separate invention, is found on the 'oracular bones', turtle shells used for divination. Which of course doesn't rule out that chinese traders used it earlier, but wrote on perishable materials, like silk.
Peter:
>>1) Dara Happan (sanscrit analogue?)
>>2) Earthspeach (cuniform)
>>3) GL root (Latin script?)
>
>You left out Kralori Ideograms.
...
>The Kralori writing system is said to have been invented by Emperor
>Mikaday which is still before the Great Darkness.
To pick nits, we don't know for sure that Kralorelan script is ideogrammatic, however that seems logical to maintain a chinese analogy. We do know that Mikaday, rationalized the Kralorelan dialects into a single language and invented an elegant and pratical way of writing according to Kralorelan tradition.
>I think that before
>that they used some kind of primitive pictogram system (like that found
>in Shang Dynasty Dragon Bones in China). This pictogrammic style would
>be found in Vormain, Bliss in Ignorance and the East Isles
Well, the Shang texts are not primitive pictograms, but the direct ancestors of modern chinese characters, many of them are still recognizable. I have just finished an excellent book about chinese writing from Shang to modern days, how the signs developed and what they originally depicted. So, pictograms, yes in a way, primitive, no not at all.
Some thoughts on writing in the East Isles: Literacy is not widespread, most people don't need it. Islanders are generally kind of conservative, so I think they have a very ancient pictogram writing, called Vithelan writing, which originates from ancient Vithela, before it was fractured into the East Isles. This fits well with Peters Old East pictogram theory. Greg Fried thought up a more modern writing used by those who need a more practical scipt. It's called dragonscript, because the writer dons special 'claws' an all fingers of the primary hand and use these to scratch the signs on wax tablets. Dragon script is complex and expressive.
>I suspect the Teshnans use something
>different. Anybody have any ideas what the Teshnans for writing?
Since Teshnos has a solar culture, how about something that has evolved from the same roots as the Dara Happan script, as an echo of a common past in the world-spanning (almost) Godtime empire of Yelm?
>The West knows that its writing system came from the Kingdom of Logic.
And now for something completely different. Is there anyone else who thinks the Kingdom of Logic smells heavily of Brithini retconning? Given their obsession with purity and refusal to accept the gods they just have to invent a past where they are descended from pure logicians and not simple sun-worshipping deity-acknowledging citizens of Yelm's empire like everybody else. (Oh yes, I expect a lot of indignant replies to this one).
East Isles magic:
John Snead:
>So, does anyone have ay more data on East Isalnd magic? Descriptions,
>rules, whatever...
Oops, the stuff I described is not 'official'. It is in use in my campaign and Sandy uses it too (he made the RQ rules for dream magic).
Peter:
>To be detailed in Codex #4, along with other Kewl Stuff by Sandy, Nils
>and Greg Fried about the East Isles.
Yep. When I rant about the East Isles, the data come from the work the above mentioned have done on the Isles and from my campaign material.
/Nils W
Powered by hypermail