I've been hellishly busy for a while and haven't been able devote any time to glorantha. But for the moment i have a short interlude. So of course i'm digesting my backlog till my eyes bleed.
Some while ago during the FHQ/KoDP-debate P Metcalfe said in #390:
>What I'm saying is that becoming the KoDP originally conferred some
>tangible _otherworldy_ benefit as he has tamed the land (although at
>the expense of his fertility)
A minor quibble is about _taming_ the land. I don't really think the wannabe Kings of DP tried to tame the land goddess. More likely it was a hieros gamos-type of ceremony to gain the 'rightful' investiture from Tara/Kero Fin/some Earth Goddess.
Speaking mythically, the 'King of the Land'-heroquest is a minor attempt to resurrect or emulate Genert, the true King of the Land. And the tangible, otherwordly benefit conferred is that the King fertilises/impregnates the Earth Goddess, bringing plenty to the land and his people. He may lose his biological fertility, as all his progenerative powers is channeled into the earth; or his biological fertility might be supercharged by the goddess. Or something or other.
Anyway, the kingquester takes on the vestments of the Good King as a protector and husband of the Earth. He becomes Good King Genert (for DP at least) and is the embodiment of the prosperous unity between the Land and the People, not unlike the egyptian pharaoes (sp?) or sumerian kings who were the focal point/interface between the divine and the worldly for the egyptian society.
I don't think it makes a qualitative difference which Queen he marries in the ceremony to create the bond with the Goddess. It would probably make a quantitative difference though - depending on which Queen it is the bond created is stronger or weaker. Marrying the FHQ makes for a strong bond, though not as strong as heroquesting for the Lady or Kero Fin, but stronger than the bond created through the presupposed Feathered ersatz Queen, and vastly superior to some gal from the countryside of Far Point.
If there are several possible Earth Goddesses to one of whom the King might bond himself, then certainly the bond might be qualitatively different depending on which Queen is chosen as the Vessel of the Goddess.
Speaking politically, all this mythico-magical claptrap is a ruse to gain legitimate claim to kingship over a larger territory without warfare and to show the rest of the world that this King is not to be messed with. Thus enabling his people to live in peace and prosperity. Of course, being the KoDP means you can field larger armies and conquer your enemies.
>Tarkalor, Moraides and Sartar are not
>being dishonest when they claim to be KoDP but they are still KoDP
>in name only.
Politically it matters not what Queen of the Land the would-be King marries. It is a matter of propaganda to be able to claim that the woman actually IS the Queen of the Land. If the people believe you to be the KoDP you are, in all practical matters, and gain the worldly benefits thereof. Being KoDP in name only is the only way to be KoDP. Language is reality. There is no one true way of being KoDP, unless stated in the way i just did (that is a paradox in name only).
Certainly the worldy benefits gained by marrying FHQ are slightly different from FQ, as the Grazers and the Shakers as powergroups have different socio-economic attributes. Which one is best depends on the political climate.
The political and mythical aspects are of course not mutually exclusive. They are complementing aspects of the KoDP-ceremony. Another interesting side to all of this is the Queen's view of the same ceremony. I'm not really sure what her view might be, at least not the mythical aspect.
Possibly it might be to turn the turbulent violence of the God into harmonious creation, though i'm not sure. Anyone have an idea?
Valete
Powered by hypermail