stars and fonrit

From: Peter Metcalfe <phm30_at_student.canterbury.ac.nz>
Date: Mon, 07 Jul 1997 20:21:08 +1200


Stephen Martin:

>Having a star appear is NOT an automatic mark of becoming a hero. For
>example, Argrath, in Hell (KoS pg. 32) did not _get_ a star, he was
>_offered_ a star.

And there is no indication that he has _refused_ that gift. All that is said there is that the Gods were unable to filful his request for Sheng Seleris. Argrath may have obtained the Star and left for Sheng Seleris or he may have obtained it when he returned to the Courts of Silence with Sheng Seleris.

>So, sometimes the star is not automatic. Sir Ethilrist
>seems to have expected a star to appear for him (see A History of My
>Black Horse Troop), but many of the Dara Happan heroes don't have stars,
>as far as we know, anyways.

Sir Ethilrist is hardly a credible example of someone who knows when he has obtained heroic status worthy of a star. As for the Dara Happans, they do say that certain stars are heroes such as Ervegus (High Priest of Yuthuppa in Vuranostum's Day), Jenarong, Vuranostum and Avivath. From the text of the Perfect Sky, it appears that Delarvus, Norees and Borna are also heroes.

>The other, more difficult, question, is of what other cultures do to
>explain the stars which all of a sudden appear. When Ethilrist finally
>became a Hero, I'm sure he got his star. What do the Orlanthi and Dara
>Happans say this star is?

I think they would add the Star to a nearby constellation and explain the Star as a new part of the constellation. For instance, Star 96 is near the tree and could be a star of an elf hero or Elamle-Ata.

>>The Dara Happan records mention several emperors as having their
>>own stars. Unfortunately some of the names are highly doubtful
>>in that the year of appearance does not actually tally with their
>>reign. It is possible that the appearance of a new star in the
>>heavens might be sycophantically attributed to the reigning Emperor.

>The Book of Drastic Resolutuons, Volume Prax, addresses this problem, as
>I pointed it out to Greg about a year ago. Basically, the numbering in
>GRoY has been altered to correct this problem.

I had assumed the cause was that Plentonius swiped a Yuthuppan list and inserted Jenarong rulers for Veshtargos ones - the Jenarong 'dynasty' didn't really control Yuthuppa until after Vuranostum conquered it IMO.  

>>I understand from Sandy's latest Fonrit
>>posting about the Umathelans worshipping the most accesible of the
>>Fonritan Gods, that Humakt is known as Enkidu in Fonrit (and appears
>>as a skeleton wielding a sword and shield).

>Peter, Peter, Peter -- don't you mean "The Fonritan god Enkidu, who
>appears as a skeleton wielding a sword and shield) is often called Humakt
>by foreigners from the northern continent"?

[Hoist by his own petard. Scattered pieces gradually reknit themselves.]

Okay. Rephrase time.

The Death God is known as Enkidu in Fonrit and appears as a Skeleton wielding a Sword and a Shield. Northerners believe him to be Humakt.

>>Where or what is Yngortu?

>Yngortu (large city): Also known as "Grimcity". The major religion here
>is that of the Two Brothers, Orjethulut and Hanjethulut [...]. Although
>the worshipers deny any association with outside gods, most observers
>identify the Two Brothers with Humakt and Zorak Zoran.

>Note that the mention in the write-up for Tondiji of "Zorak Zoran" I
>assume to refer instead to Hanjethulut, the local deity sometimes called
>by that name.

I'm not so sure. The Yngortuans deny the two brothers have any association with outside gods. They would look a bit stupid if Hanjethulut was worshipped by that very name in Tondiji. Hence I'd assume the "Zorak Zoran" of Tondiji is not called Hanjethulut although the Tondijites among others do say that Hanjethulut of Yngortu is really "Zorak Zoran". Which means that we are still have no consensus on a generic Fonritan name for "Zorak Zoran".

For want of a better name, I'll say that the Fonritan "Zorak Zoran" comes from Murdjahguya Island (its people are traditionally more violent than the people of the other two isles) and is known as Murdjah. It seems to me upon reflection that Murdjah would be a berserking war god rather than an undead one. The reason for this is the appearance of Enkidu which leads me to believe that his priests know how to make Skeletons aka servants of Enkidu. This would not be the case in Yngortu where Orjethulut is depicted as being flesh-and-blood IMO. I think the worshippers of Murdjah would be seriously demented dervishes with a passion for destruction.

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