I propose that the most realistic and simple way to settle the strange dispute between Martin Laurie and Peter Metcalfe (who ever would have thought that you would have to argue that Shargash was the son of Yelm, and a separate being?) is to say that the view that Martin holds is what your average Shargashi grunt might actually believe in Alkoth, and what Peter believes is what some Raibanthi philosophers, probably somewhat Lunarised (this 'masks' concept) ones, believe. The goddess has taught me that they are both right. But I think the Alkothi thug is probably a lot more relevent most of the time.
>>Tell me, what would be the point of worshipping several
>>gods if they were all merely masks of another?
>
>I suppose that a philosopher would answer your question like
>this:
I suppose that the non-philosophers would answer the question like this:
Where did you get such a strange idea? How could you confuse Shargash and Yelm?
Arf Wilson talks about Storm Bulls losing their ear as part of initiation
>The question I am putting to you more worldly (lozengely?) wise people is
>whom would the SB lose his ear to? Would he have to fight a chaos foe,
>lose the ear, nearly die, and be healed by an Eiritha priestess before
>whacking the foe and retreating?
To be honest, the reason I didn't pick up this thread is because I didn't like the idea much at all. I figure if all the uroxi where missing an ear, we would have noticed before now.
Also, I can't really figure out how your Uroxi fighting chaos would be able to ensure that an ear was lost.
I think Storm Bull initiation rites include fighting chaos. Some times/places this is somewhat ritualised (you can't always find chaos when you want it in sufficient quanitities, and the really tough chaos isn't for brand new initiates). I think if the initiate does lose an ear, this is an extremely good omen for the initiate, though not necessarily for everyone else.
Not also Storm Bull Ears, a cute magic item from Plunder - a living bulls ear that you can whack on in place of your own.
Cheers
Dave
End of Glorantha Digest V4 #132
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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