Re: Smugglers, Illuminates, Carmanians, Languages

From: Robert McArthur <mcarthur_at_fit.qut.edu.au>
Date: Sun, 24 Mar 96 16:43:57 EST


Nick writes
> Robert writes:
>
> > The caveat on this whole idea whereby the God's knowledge is greater
> > than some people like, is that the Gods do not trust their worshippers
> > (a given in most things about Glorantha I've read)...
>
> That sounds *very* strange to me! The gods constantly guide their worshippers
> through omens and portents, divinations and chastisements. Why do we need to
> give them access to a vast additional body of information and then state that
> they never use, or permit anyone to make use of, this resource?

Well, I seem to remember that the reason everyone is not a rune level and hero is that the God is jealous of the power to give a worshipper. If we take the hero plane (dubious reference point though it may be) the God is unwilling to heap rewards on their worshippers until they have proven themselves. Taken further and down to the mundane, it follows that the god's *like* a little hierachy where those at the top have proven themselves to be like the god (note that IMHO this is not the same as all those at the top having similar facets). The God gives more power when they can trust that the worshipper is not going to do something with the power that the God dosen't like. There is no other reason for all of the 90% in ___ or speak ____ otherwise - everyone could be a rune priest/hero/whatever whenever they wanted without referent to the god. Therefore the Gods do not (fully) trust their worshippers.

> > After all, I can't see L.Mhy/I.Ontor et al not having a large knowledge-
> > base, and always wanting more.
>
> These two are practically unique in being Knowledge Gods: I'd certainly not want
> to generalise from a single instance. Maybe it's true that anything ceremonially
> written down and stored in a LhM temple library is "known" to Lhankor Mhy: but
> how is this different from conscious prayer and communication with the deity?
> Robert's model would say LhM is aware of *everything* that's ever been written
> (perhaps in certain [undefined] scripts or languages only), and also unwilling
> to utilise or communicate this knowledge to his devoted and loyal worshippers
> (so why bother giving him this unprecedented awareness in the first place?).
>
> Is Flamal aware of the fate of every blade of grass? I'd say, No.

But dosen't every blade of grass have a spirit? And those spirits will go to Flamal after "death"... And if every blade of grass dosen`t have a spirit (to you), I think the aldryami may disagree :-) Of course, there are some "creatures" who are a bit harder to explain like ants - do ants have individual spirits or just one group spirit?

> Is Uleria aware of every fond feeling, or act of love? I'd say no.

Dosen't every passion have a spirit? A spirit can IMHO be formed by a *strong* feeling, but most feeling are just manifestations of playful spirits.

> Does Humakt know what every sword in the world is being used for? No.

Well, I can't see any reason why he *shouldn't*. MGF comes from whether he'll tell you anything ;-)

> This micro-focus on language as the main means of imparting knowledge
> (inadvertently) to the gods *really* doesn't feel right to me.

Likewise in some ways, but I thinks it's a nice way of thinking about some things and explains, easily, exactly what knowledge a God would have in response to a divination.


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