Of course this is true in the RW, but in Glorantha, Hsunchen are fine examples of true culture fossils. They have not changed because the nature of magic in Glorantha is very different from that in Earth. For one thing, given that Hsunchen base their culture closely on their "pet" animal, their culture can only change as the animal itself evolves. If a Hsunchen folk makes additional changes beyond the basic animal lifestyle, they tend to end up as the Basmoli or Dragon Hsunchen -- i.e., largley extinct as Hsunchen, and incorporated into the neighboring peoples.
The Rathori have numerous addenda to the primeval Hsunchen structure, and I predict with confidence that their culture will evolve away from Hsunchen reality within a few generations.
Ian Gorlick
>Excuse my poor memory, where is there a definite mention of a
>horizontal tail fluke?
Howzabout here? "The cetoi have horizontal tail flukes. Piscoi mermen have vertical tail flukes."
MORTALITY IN GLORANTHA
There is a reality to myth in Glorantha. Whether the death
of Grandfather Mortal is perceived as a sword-thrust (Orlanthi) or a
divine gift (Praxian) or an end to stagnation (Kralori) or a drink
of deadly water (Pamaltelan) or the original sin (Malkioni), the
fact is that there was an Event in prehistoric Glorantha that
resulted in man being mortal rather than immortal. If we look at
these four cases of Death Introduction, we can find that three of
them have exceptions. The Pamaltelans have their Original People,
still wandering lonely and lost amidst the wastes, but never-dying.
The Malkioni have the example of the Brithini, the folk that did not
sin. The Kralori have the undying Dragonewts, living emblems of
eternal progression. And the Praxians have the mighty ruins of the
God Time's soulless Golden Folk.
Almost alone among mortality myths, the Theyalans do not have a living breathing example of someone who does not die. To me, this makes me wonder about the Theyalan myth. I figure it is either the most or the least true of all the various mortality myths. Note that many of the other myths regard the intervention of Death as voluntary, or even difficult to obtain (Waha had to go on a hard and epic search for it, for instance). Only the Theyalans view it as kind of a mistake, or a murder, etc.
Bill Robertson
>As cultures, both the Brithini and Mostali detest reproduction. So,
>they've distanced themselves from the fertilty aspect of the
>death/fertilty duality. Thus they are distanced from the death
>aspect as well, and do not normally die from aging.
Yeah, but what if they just age reallllyy sloowly, eh? What if they're not immortal at all? If you're a good Brithini, there's got to be that nagging doubt in the back of your mind, doesn't there? Probably makes you more fanatic about wanting things to be the way you want them.
>I don't know if this applies to the Vadeli, because I don't think
>I've ever heard of the Vadeli. I am a little out of date.
The Vadeli are far from fertile, and seem even more avid in the ol' anti-Life Rune activity than the Mostali and Brithini, at least if you listen to Nick B's (and others) ravings.
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