As a diety, I don't think Polaris is particulary martial (as opposed to Daxdarius, or Shargash). But a martial culture that looks to Sky dieties will discover his gifts sooner or later. IMGlorantha, Polaris provides the equivalent of spy sattelites. Polaris provides forward observation for those Lunar magic barrages. Polaris provides the logistics necessary to keep an army moving faster than it can forage. If Gloranthans ever achieve blitzkrieg, Polaris will be there. How many successful commanders can ignore recon and logistics?
Yelm worship-
I have always had the impression that Yelm worship is hereditary, and restricted to the nobility. There are _rare_ instances where non- may join, but this no doubt involves the "discovery" of a Yelmic ancestor. This isn't extraordinarily difficult, because I see Yelmic families as prolific. (Both Yelm and Dendara are heavy fertility deities.) After six generations of families full of 12 surviving kids, there are going to be a lot of people wandering around eligible to join. But they will all still be members of only a few castes.
But Lodrilli are just as prolific, (though with a lower survival rate) so there are going to be a lot _more_ people ineligible to join.
All the Yelm offshoots- the Pentans, the Dara Happans, even the Grazers with Yu-kargzant - believe that to be initiated to the ruling cult, a person has to be descended from Yelm/Yukargzant. That means s/he has to be able to recite the lineage. This makes them believe they are semi-divine beings, with special rights and special obligations. Plentonius implies loads of this sort of thing.
>I said that most of the urbans of Dara Happa were members of Yelm the
Youth at the least.
I think _everybody_ in Yelmic cultures offers MP as "laymembers" on holy days, but few are initiated into the mysteries of the ruling deity. I see even "Yelm the Youth" as a cult for high caste boys and young men. Because there are limited positions in the Yelm cult, (there will be many more candidates for priests, Sunlords, and Imperaturs than any culture can a culture support), many of these will go on to other cults. They will become merchants, warriors, generals, landowners, or beurocrats.
>Read the Lunar Empire Writeup. It's explained the Dara Happans sneer
at anybody who is not from a city even _if_ he live in the valley and
can claim descent from the Sun God. This implies that even the peasants
can worship the Sun.
Not to me. The term "Dara Happans" in print is often short for "urban Dara Happan noble". All the above statement means to me is that "urban nobles sneer at county nobles". And because I picture Dara Happan nobles living in extended families with both urban and rural estates, I doubt that statement, too.
> Look at Sun County - they've no problem with common farmers worshipping
Yelmalio.
But not Yelm. Yelmalio is a sky god for the common man - an intercessionary between humans and the Almightly, Awesome Yelm. Lodril (a fallen sky god) fills this role in Dara Happa.
>Look at the Pentans, even the common rider is a initiate of Kargzant.
Again, not Yelm. I expect Kargzant is seen as a son of Yelm. Among the Grazers, men worship various Yu-Kargzant sons at different stages of their lives, (Josad, Henrid, etc) but only the nobles worship Yu-K himself.
If Yelm worship was truly restricted in the manner that you suggest, then it would have been superseded long ago by another solar cult with a more liberal social entrance qualification over the 10,000+ years of Dara Happan history.
The Yelm cult is small, but influential because of all its associations. The _strength_ of the Yelm cult its ability to RULE. (How many other cults have "Human Lore" as a runelord requirement?) Lodril obeys Yelm. Shargash obeys Yelm. Oria obeys Yelm. Oslira obeys Yelm. This is due to millenia of mythic enforcement and interwoven fertility and societal rituals, not because everybody expects to line up and get in on the deal. When everybody obeys Yelm, society runs well, and everybody IS in on the deal, by belonging to the associate cults of their appropriate caste.
And don't forget - Lodril is the deity of Rebellion, too. That helps balance society.
Pam
End of Glorantha Digest V3 #37
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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