Re: Hsunchen are people, too; rules-bound Solars

From: David Dunham <dunham_at_pensee.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 20:34:25 -0700


Jane Williams wrote

> According to the big Telmori write-up, Telmori see no difference between
> the "human" and wolf members of their pack. (Well, presumably they can
> see differences in furriness, but...). So it seems to me that either the
> human-shaped Telmori are subject to the fertility cycles of wolves, or
> the wolf-shaped Telmori are subject to the fertility cycles of humans.

I've never liked this idea. Our sexuality is a huge part of what makes humans humans (see Jared Diamond's _The Third Chimpanzee_ for one discussion). If hsunchen are different, then they're not human. After all, there's fairly good evidence from Ralios that the inhabitants were all hsunchen, but are no more -- and seemed to have no trouble breeding with others.

Dorastor says, "The Telmori perceive no essential difference between human and wolf members of the pack. Telmori humans and wolves speak the same language and share a common culture. It is believed that some of the wolves turn to human shape on high holy days. It is known that humans and wolves mate, and often develop long-term relationships. When Telmori address their animals as "brother," "sister," or even "wife," they are probably speaking literally.

The first part of this is clearly cultural. The second part concerns biology, but also suggests it takes magic. And nowhere does it say that human and wolf sexuality is the same. Only that they can interbreed (without unambiguously saying that it has to be done in the same shape, which is clearly a possibility).

The writeup in Heroes I.4 says, "Everyone born of Telmori parents is believed to be a wolf." This doesn't say they are a wolf. They are treated the same as a wolf. Again, this is a cultural perception.

I think all hsunchen are humans, who have close contact with their totem spirits. They can become their totems. Sometimes, a totem animal is spontaneously born (probably with about the same frequency as intelligent animals are born). The have great affinity with their totems, and BY CHOICE adopt many of the same social habits (if they didn't, it would be harder to live with them).

Hsunchen who stop practicing their ancestral ways are also humans. They no longer have close contact with their totem spirits. They by definition practice a totally different culture (not their ancestral ways). But that's the only difference.

Certainly hsunchen aren't animals. If they were, they wouldn't have speech and culture. Why do so many people want to strip humanity from the hsunchen?

Peter Metcalfe ranted

> Why should we seek to make
> each and every solar culture bigotted anal-retentives?

I think they are more likely, in Glorantha, to have rules and regulations - -- just as the Sun follows a regular course. As opposed to the more erratic winds, whose worshippers are freer and wilder. BUT... you're certainly correct. The rules-loving doesn't have to express itself the same way. I think the Grazers are very hierarchical, with strict age groups, but have the cultural virtue (in Pendragon terms) of Indulgent (rather like the Scythians I use as one model for them).

David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_pensee.com> Glorantha/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein


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