Languages and God's knowledge

From: Robert McArthur <mcarthur_at_fit.qut.edu.au>
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 96 17:13:53 EST


I keep getting these swine of wisdom while going to bed. Fortunately some stay around for the morrow. This is one of them.

After finally buying RQ3 I see it follows the list's line that Gods, for those who believe in such things, do not know what the worshipper is thinking. They only know what the worshipper has actually told them while praying. Somehow, and this is not elaborated in either place, they also know when the worshipper becomes apostate (without a priests excommunication).

If I am to believe this, then the Gods must know very little. Unless they actually relive sequences of events through the worshipper's - my - eyes, they will not have a very balanced nor complete view. The amount of time even a priest can spend telling the God something in words, or even conscious streams of thought, is very small. Our brains take in much much more unconsciously than most of us can consiously elaborate on. However the God does not have access to this for reasons the list has explained already.

The God must have other means of accessing information which goes on everyday, or they will have to wait for worshippers to die before giving their unconscious a real grilling. Note that this means a really good liar could possibly get away with lying to their God. This I see as a "good thing" (TM) as it creates diversity in a religion, something else I have had a great problem with.

[Aside about lying]

To give an example, if we take the Pendragon Pass virtues, then every Orlanthi will be, in the 5 virtues of Orlanth, exactly the same (within 1 or 2 points). I find this both boring and detrimental to MGF. The ability to lie means you can get an Orlanthi who may be not quite up there with the rest - perhaps not quite a honourable, etc. You have to be *really* good at lying don't forget - - those who don't usually don't get the chance for an experience roll for their "lie" skill! It also means it is possible to infiltrate another cult. I find this is all easier for me to think of as I can compare it to the Christian Church during the crusades (everyone should be loving their enemy shouldn't they?). (Please note, the mention of the Christian Church and the word crusades is not meant to be a red flag to those whose knowledge about such is undeniably more than my own...)
[end aside about lying]

Anyway, back to the plot. The God needs other means to know what's going on. One of the most important is, apart from the worshippers, other Gods who are friends. Even so, I think this limits the God's knowledge too much. I like to see them as knowing more, but telling us mere mortals only a bit.

So, my proposal is that each language spoken on Glorantha actually includes a ceremony which allows a particular God to know what is being said in that language. For example, Issaries knows every word ever spoken in Tradetalk. Sartar knows every word spoken in Sartarite. Waha/Eiritha knows every word spoken in Praxian. etc. Other Gods can ask each other about information and trade it around, so Herald, Etyries, Harst et al would easily be able to find out from daddy/sibling Issaries what's been happening in Tradetalk.

So now, to keep information secret, you must also be careful not just who you speak it to but what language you use - words really do have some power! Of course, the deity may never tell any mortal the information.

IMHO this stimulates MGF. Referees can now decide appropriately what the God does know in relation to a divination. The problems associated with how a God gets to know something are largely removed. And it adds a nice feature to langauges, how and why you learn them, in that some sort of link between the speaker and the diety is inherent in the formation of the concept into that language.

Well, I await comments. *I* think it's a nice idea (TM).

Robert McArthur


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