Mike sez...
>C'mon - the most important ritual time of the year is not about
>resurrecting dead gods, it's about reforging the whole world and defending
>it against chaos.
Actually it's kinda about both. I think bringing back the Sun is integral to beating Chaos. Afterall, one needs the Sun to chase away (Greater) Darkness.
Then he sez...
>I know that the resurrection of Ernalda of Yelm were
>necessary prerequisites for the IFWW
If I understand IFWW as explained in Trollpak correctly, the IFWW is more of a personal battle. In IFWW, one struggles with himself or his own surroundings to defeat the chaos or evil within himself or his immediate surroundings. If one chooses to use Yelm and Ernalda to represent those inner forces which can defeat Chaos within themselves, then the resurrection of Yelm and Ernalda are necessary prerequisites for the IFWW. If a Troll for example wishes to use another deity or deities to defeat the evil/chaos within themselves, then Yelm and Ernalda are not necessary for IFWW.
Mike goes on to say...
>What was Orlanth's greatest quest? If it wasn't the LBQ, i don't know what
>it could be. And when should his greatest triumph be celebrated? That's
>right - his HHD. Why would Orlanth's birth be the most important thing to
>celebrate? Was that the peak of his achievements?
Well if your ideas are correct Mike, shouldn't the first day of Spring be on Orlanth's HHD? Let's say for a moment that Orlanth STARTED the LBQ on the HHD. We all know that the mundane LBQ (the one Kallyr Starbrow attempted) lasts two weeks. If the Mundane LBQ started on the HHD, the first day of Spring would be on the 13th or 14th day after the HHD. It is not. As far as I know, the first day of Spring is the first day of Sea Season, some 4 1/2 weeks after the HHD, not 2 weeks after the HHD.
Mike then wants to see...
>If you still think the LBQ is a Sacred Time pastime, i'd very much like to
>see the arguments
The LBQ (the mundane one anyway) should be celebrated during the Sacred Time for the reason posted above. The Sacred time is 2 weeks long (the same length of the mundane LBQ) and at the end of the Sacred Time is the first day of Sea Season (Spring) just as at the end of the LBQ is the Dawning and the first day of the rebirth of the world which is the first day of Spring (Sea Season).
Mike also talks about universal myths when he sez...
>There are pretty few universal [myth-]phenomena, but Sacred Time and IFWW
>are both universal, which, frex, the LBQ is not.
The LBQ is certainly not a universal myth. But how can you say the IFWW is? I doubt the Brithini follow it. I doubt orthodox dwarves follow it too. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that there are a ton of Gloranthan cultures who don't follow it. The IFWW, therefore, cannot be universal either.
John Brown
Arkat_at_aol.com
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