Number's up. from Alex Ferguson on 1996-02-08 (Glorantha Digest Vol 02)

From: Alex Ferguson <alex_at_dcs.gla.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 96 23:19:09 GMT

While the numbers of one's enemies may be unlucky, or bad, the most likely candidates are those religions which one has supplanted, or come into most intimate contact with, rather than those of foreign enemies. So the usual suspects for Dara Happa are the proto-Lunar Pelandans, and the Pentans -- not that we know what their magic numbers are. Terran precedent, though, suggests a lunar connection with the numbers 3, 5, 7, and 9, to assorted degrees and for various reasons. 7 and 9 are the ones of this lot most likely to be ill-favoured, particularly 7. I note that Umatum is the thirteenth figure in the top row of the God's Wall -- whichever end you're counting from -- so it well may be Very Bad. (Yes, I know 13 is not the most original of candidates. Anyone have any idea why the _Orlanthi_ think 13 is unlucky? None of the terrestrial connotations seem to apply in this case.)

Peter's rejection of Unlucky 5 as Too God Learnerish while nominating 88 is puzzling, as 88 seems to be of enirely parochial Sartarite significance. Eight seems likely to be a good DH number, being the terran number of "solar increase", as Graves would have it, the number of Yelm's planetary sons, and Ghod knows what else.

Aforesaid Peter quoth himself:

>> Five is Truth according to the Yelmists.

> It's from the GRAY where Plentonius talks about the
> Ten Members of the Celestial Court and their properties. Aether
> Primolt is Ten and Athletics is Eight (I think), frex.

Oh yes, that! It had never occurred to me that this was intended to be interpreted numerologically (duh), but looking at it again it seems to be make sense read this way.

Fans of Pythagorean triples will notice that in this system, Beauty combines with Joy to produce Truth; I bet I can summon a qualified sybaritic poet to testify to this being the case.

Squarely,
Alex.