The marriage of Orlanth and Rufelza

From: Jeff Richard <jrichard_at_cnw.com>
Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 11:02:35 -0700


Howdy,

Recently Mr. Greene wrote:

> In an RQ campaign which recently ended, I had intended to have
the
> Sartarite PCs find out about a Lunar inspired cult of "Orlanth
Bridegroom".
> The idea was that Orlanthis who were friendly to the Empire and the
Goddess
> would attempt to "marry" Orlanth to the Red Goddess by rituals (Orlanth
Wind
> Lords and Storm Voices marrying Lunar priestesses, maybe) and heroquests.
>
> How absurd an idea is that?

Rather absurd in Sartar and amongst the Hendriki - but it may have happened in Syllila several centuries ago. I have a sneaking suspicion that Hwarin Dalthippa managed to marry the Goddess (herself) to an aspect of Orlanth (Ingkotvus). In fact, when the PNWFC gamed in fourteenth century Peloria, most of the anti-Imperial types from Syllilia didn't have much of a religious beef with Hwarin Dalthippa - just traditional Orlanthi feuds ("You usurped the position and respect traditionally owed to my family, blah blah blah").

I think things changed after Sheng, and the Goddess is "different" since then. Even heroines like Jar-Eel cannot marry Orlanth because they are too closely defined (from the Orlanthi's POV) as "chaos". Orlanth cannot marry chaos and still be Orlanth. If the Goddess were to marry Orlanth in Sartar/Hendrikiland, the Lunar heroquester would first have to change the Goddess in the eyes of the Orlanthi.

>I think it is not so absurd. Indeed it is rather unrealistic that all
>Orlanthis everywhere on Glorantha would be enemies of the Red
>Goddess.

A minority of Orlanthi accept, but do not embrace the Red Goddess (the south Pelorian Heortlings), another minority has defined her as the returned Gbaji (the Manirian Heortlings) and will never accept her, and a plurality largely ignores her (Ralios, Fronela, Wenelia).

>And it would be only natural for the Orlanthis to find a solution how to
explain the friendship of these >both gods.

IMO only in Syllila/Saird are you likely to find any sort of Red Goddess/Orlanth friendship. I doubt the myths are tolerable from the POV of the other Orlanth cults.

>But what about Ernalda. How is Orlanth getting rid of her ?

Ernalda is not worshipped as Orlanth's wife in all the lands that Orlanth is worshipped. Further, Orlanth is often worshipped as a lusty god with many mistresses.

Jeff


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