Fonrit.

From: Simon Bray <101635.32_at_CompuServe.COM>
Date: 07 Jul 97 04:02:33 EDT


Hi All,

 In follow up to Pete's comments about my Fonrit.

 Yngortu is known as the Grim City, it is the major worship sight of the Two Brothers. The cult needs to keep the balance of power between the two siblings and so each year a census is taken to make sure that one god hasn't got more worshippers than the other.

 Fida'Is is described as a sunbird rolling across heaven in his death throws in Tales, but I get the point that this is a foreigners point of view. Az-Yahlem was developed as a replacement for Yelm in the city of Tondiji, he is portrayed IMG as being as strong tyrant so that Tondiji the city god looks all the more impressive for ruling him. I do think that Fonritans use terms like TYRANT and BACK BURNER when they describe the power of their gods to others, especially slaves. I have a tendency to find many of Glorantha's deities as being to mild and easy on their worshippers. I do think that some people worship their gods through fear and not just peity. The religions in Fonrit are described as being corrupt and manipulative in their actions, I think that such priesthoods would use fear as a tool to further their plans. We are after all talking about a country which patrices open human sacrifice (Barueli), consorting with demons (Fanjosi) and instant death to all foreigners (forget the city).

 You yourself said that "the Cruel" had different connotations for Fonritans so why not "Tyrant"?

 The Massarin (Fonritan for masters) worship hard and potent gods in my opinion, that is how rule is maintained. I do agree that Ompalam is written wrongly in the Prosaepedia, bureaucratic centralisation is not evil in Fonrit. I believe that Darleester the Noose is a sub form of Ompalam who justifies the reasons for the position of the Janns, and was created by the Jann for this very purpose. I think a lot of the Fonritan deities worshipped by the Massarin are used to this purpose, to justify the difference between the small ruling/free classes and the massive slave class (which contains agimori, veldang, wareran and torabs(the name given to the mixed blue/black race in the Pamaltela book)). As Sandy suggested many Fonritan deities are not easily approached by outsiders.

 Where did the reference to Enkidu come from? I remember it vaguely, but cannot find it anywhere.

 I am very unsure about the "Prince", I cannot remember his name, I think he may be trying to defeat the current Jann to reinstate the older tyrannical practices of his father or alternatively he is trying to overthrow a tyrant. Also I wonder about the relationship between Afadjann and Kareeshtu, based upon the present Jann's unpaid dept to that kingdom (soldiers, money and ships at the final crucial moment). The leaders of the Kareeshti seem to be called Shaks (according to the Pamaltela book), what do you think. Finally who is the Jann, son of Afadjann in KOS, noted as a companion to Argrath?

 Cheers Simon.

 To all those not interested in this post, or in need of translations E-mail me or Ignore as you feel free.


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