Peter asked:
>What did the Summer Tribes worship?
From what I've gleaned, both the Winter and Summer tribes worshipped a variety of gods and goddess' during the Greater Darkness. Each group tried to find some god, goddess or godling to help them through the Darkness. (See Korol's Saga, chpt. 1 for one example)
The Seattle Farmers' have for some time toyed around with the concept that Elemalus (Elmal) worship was much more prominent (maybe exclusive?) amongst the pre-Dawn Winter Tribes. Our only source for this is from Plentonius, who wrote that during the Dominion of Shargash, the war-god of Alkoth "stopped the raids of Elmalus, King of the Vingkotlings."
For those of you who don't have the foggiest idea what Peter and I are yammering about - good ol' Vingkot had two wives - the Summer Wife (from whom the Kodigvari [later known as the Esrolvuli], the Koroltes and the Ogorvaltes all claim decent) and the Winter Wife (from whom the Jorganostelli, the Infithtelli, the Lastralgortelli, the Penentelli and the Berennethtelli all claim decent). Basically the Summer Wife/Winter Wife dichotomy is the Pelorian/Manirian cultural split.
These tribes form the Vingkotlings, who royal house were the Kodigvari - that is, until the royal house of the Kodigvari destroyed itself in the Wagnerian "Sword and Helm Saga". Later, good King Heort comes along with the Staff of Justice, the Ring of Orlanth and establishes the "I Fought We Won" cult, and abolishes the Summer and Winter clan differences amongst his folk - now renamed the Heortlings.
Presumably the Vingkotlings once had several storm/war gods. The myths of Darjiin mention Erlandus and Ovadorudus - presumably Vadrus and an early Orlanth. Most of these cults were brought into Heort's cult of Orlanth - possibly the help the Ring of the Vingkotlings gave Orlanth on his LBQ represents this synthesis. Interestingly enough, Plentonius only refers to Oralantus during the rule of the Sons of Vuranostum, which is post-Dawn.
Unfortunately, we have no pre-Dawn written sources trying to explain the gods of Kethaela (would that be from God Forgot - or maybe the Waertegi?), so we have little insight into the Summer Tribes. Granted, Plentonius' description of the cults of the Vingkotlings is vague, misleading and often plain wrong, but its better than nothing.
>To be picky, Walindum is specifically associated with the Glacier to
>the north. Hence I think the Vingkotlings would have revered Inora
>(who is to be found at the Hills of Gold) rather than Valind.
You are absolutely right Peter. My mistake in putting down Walindum - although Walind the Ram is still known as a subcult of Orlanatus in Syllila (at least in the 1350s).
>Umatum is originally a Dara Happan equivalent of Vogmaradan (Biggus
Dickus)
>and it is only later that he is thought of as one of the uncouth
>Orlanthi Storm Gods - contact with Humath also helped. Rebellus
>Terminus appears to be Dobrudon the Thuder God of Darsen who comes
>from the Northeast rather than the Vingkotlings.
Again, I acknowlege your greater mastery of cross-referencing all of the Dara Happan/North Pelorian references.
For those of you who don't have KoS (no excuses - go out and get it!), FS or GRoY, or have no interest in the archeology of Glorantha, I apologize for this esoteric rambling.
Yours truly,
Jeff
End of Glorantha Digest V4 #290
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