Re: Glorantha Digest V4 #202

From: Gaiba Roberto <cip5651_at_accursio.comune.bologna.it>
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1997 09:26:29 +0100

>
>> In Glorantha, is a players spirit the same as her soul?
>
>Ahhh, a very good question. I'll confuse matters even more by pointing out
>that Greg has said that (IIRC) the West of Genertela represents the world's
>mind, the East her spirit and the central lands her soul. That means he
>sees some difference but I'm buggered if I know what it is.
>

I think Greg meant that, in a metaphorical way (but in Glorantha metaphors are what give form to reality), the West is the more rationale part, where scientist and sorceres come from, the East is the more mystical and irrational, SPIRITUAL part, while the central part is the heart of Glorantha, where its true essence is hold. Just my humble opinion.  

>> If they are different, do characters exist concurrently on the physical =
>> plane (body and soul) and the spirit plane (in spirit form)? =20
>
>Well, IMHO, the non-physical part of the person (Mind and Soul) are bound into
>the physical part while they are alive and it needs special abilities to
>perceive and interact with the spirit plane while you are alive.

While you have to be discorporated, be shaman or anyway having special abilities to perceive and interact with the spirit world, you have anyway a part of yourself in the spirit plane which moves with you, and it is what other spirit attacks when you are in a spirit combat.

>> When someone dies her soul goes to the place prepared by her god. Does =
>> the spirit also make that journey?
>
>Again in my opinion, the 'spirits' on Glorantha's spirit plane are those souls
>which fail to make it to any sort of protected afterlife. But see above and
>remember (to confuse matters still further) that the Not-Ready-To-Be-Official-
>Writings of GRoY and THE FORTUNATE SUCCESSION have Yelmic culture believing in
>several different sorts of non-physical spirit and soul having to go towards
>making a person.
>
>> The reason why I ask this is because I am wondering how spirits would =
>> feel about being summoned. Grandfather Jed might not like to be hauled =
>> from the promised land (assuming that it is a nice place) if his spirit =
>> resides there. He would probably have to be dragged kicking and =
>> screaming to the mundane plane. If his spirit is drifting in the spirit =
>> plane he might not view it as a nuisance.
>
>Well, if he's called by Summon Ancestor then the spell allows for him being
>happy and co-operative ("Ahh, young Fred nice to see you again!"), neutral
>("I'll give you a hand if you do something for me.") and hostile ("You bastard!
>I was about to prong the Sacred Virgin! We only get a shot at it once every
>thousand years!")
>
>And on the third hand I seem to recall that the process of the seven days
>after death strips most of a person of their past life and makes them into
>a spirit entity entirely. So how they felt about someone in their earthly life
>may have no effect whatever.
>
>Yes, I'm aware that I've just confused the situation.....
>
>- --
>Michael Cule

GAIBA - cip5651_at_iperbole.bologna.it

        gaiba_at_geocities.com

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