> I thought psychopomp translated as spirit guide.
Translate, yes, but in the study of myth (at least every time I've seen the word in that context) it means "the being who takes souls of the dead to wherever they go after death." Azrael might be another example. (No, not the Batman character.) Samael in other sources.
> Are we talking about Greeks or Gloranthans? Hermes is also the god of
>communication, perhaps moreso than being the guide of the dead, so does that
>mean Argan Argar is the psychopomp? Or are you saying that Hermes is sort of
>the everyman?
Hermes, like most Greek gods, was very complex and had more than one function, presumably by accretion. It's in his role as guide for dead souls that he's "psychopomp", which has nothing to do with his thief or messenger aspects.
> Jeset the Ferryman was never, ever, alive. How would he be recognizeable
>to the newly dead? He would scare them, surely.
Yes. So what? Trolls, IMO, *should* be afraid of their gods. That's a central part of their culture. Why do you assume that a guide must be identified with the guided one?
David Dunham <dunham_at_pensee.com>:
>It's out of print, but what the hell... from the early History of the Lunar
>Empire: "At last Humakt fought Yanafal, but they fought each other to a
>standstill, even though Yanafal was aided by einherjar and Humakt was not."
>I always interpreted this to mean that Humakt too has an einherjar, but for
>some reason the Carmanians couldn't/didn't summon it.
Actually, they *did* summon Humakt with his servants, but Humakt's
einherjar chased another Lunar god off the battlefield (I want to say
Irippi Ontor) and hadn't yet returned when the Ram and Warrior
attacked the First Wielder of Death.
- --
Carl Fink carlf_at_panix.com
". . . my purpose is not to examine all the possibilities. My purpose is to
create strife and controversy for no reason." Dave Barry
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