Peaceful Cut

From: Owen Jones <oj_at_maths.anu.edu.au>
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 16:48:20 +1000 (EST)


From: Bernuetz.Oliver_at_cbsc.ic.gc.ca (Bernuetz, Oliver: WPG)

>1) All living things have some sort of spirit.
>2) When anything with a spirit dies due to illness or old age the ties =
>between the spirit and the flesh break due to the weakening process.
>3) When something with a spirit dies suddenly its spirit is imprisoned in =
>the carcass or vegetable matter until it rots.
>4) PC and Food Song (FS) can be used on carcasses to free imprisoned spirits =
>early and is considered to be a "good thing" by beings like elves and =
>hunters who care. (I'd argue that their usage is quite widespread in all =
>parts of Glorantha).

I agree that what happens to the spirits of animals killed without the Peaceful Cut needs to be resolved, though I don't like the idea of animal spirits haunting rotting carcasses. A possible alternative is that, although they're not generally happy about it, animal spirits recognise death at the hand of disease, a carnivore or old age as part of the natural cycle, and so are content to be free of their old body and wait for a new one. However, death at the hand of a sentient is an entirely unnatural thing, from the point of view of the animal spirit, unless you reassure it with the Peaceful Cut.

Hunters who don't use Peaceful Cut (or Foodsong) will soon be followed about by discontent animal (or plant) spirits; the smell of death perhaps, something I've always envisioned trolls having. More sensitive creatures will feel something is wrong before you appear, and try and make themselves scarce. Not much use if you're a plant, which perhaps explains why the use of Foodsong is restricted to elven types.

From: Marc Willner <marc24_at_ix.netcom.com>

>I can't see Hunter Cults teaching Peaceful Cut. Peaceful Cut is a
>skill/ceremony that requires the butcher to get up close to a living
>animal; this works with domesticated animals like the Praxian herds, but
>would be more difficult with a wild animal like a deer.

The Balazarings use a version of the Peaceful Cut, yet (most) are hunter/gatherers. I don't think Peaceful Cut requires a live animal, just an animal spirit that needs reassurance. Presumably the spirit will be hanging around the body of an animal you have trapped or shot from a distance.

The Balazarings also hunt by chasing herds over cliffs. I imagine there are hefty rituals required afterwards, to prevent the locale being so full of angry spirits that no self respecting animal would go near them.

Owen Jones
Centre for Maths and its Applications, School of Math. Sciences Australian National University, ACT 0200 Ph +61 6 249 2897 (office) 249 4552 (direct) Fax +61 6 249 4675 Web page http://wwwmaths.anu.edu.au/~oj/


Powered by hypermail