Head-hunting Heortlings

From: Jeff Richard <jrichard_at_cnw.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 20:26:20 -0700


The eloquent ranting of John Hughes (good to hear from you again!) has stirred me to make a few more comments about head-hunting Heortlings.

Let me repeat - I do not believe that head-hunting is traditional amongst the Quivini tribes. The barbaric practices of the Dinacoli and the Kerofini are considered savage customs by the doughty carls of Quiviniland.

This does not rule out the possibility that there are cults or magical societies in eastern Dragon Pass that practice head-hunting as a way to gain power over their foes (much like the Ralian Orlanthi who use it to augment their Demoralize spells) - just that such practices would be considered savage magic by the Quivini. If there are Heortling head-huntering cults, they are probably confined to the heirs of the Vestantes folk in upper Aggar and the Kerofini folk around Wintertop and Far Point. Certainly, the Orlanthi of Holay and lower Tarsh are not head-hunters - such practices would be no doubt be sneered at as sadistic Dara Happan barbarism.

However, non-Heortling Orlanthi folk that might have a head-hunting tradition include the Talastari, the Ralians of the East Wilds, the Haranding folk of Wenelia, the Brolians and the Orlanthi folk of Fronela.

On another subject - I fully agree with Dennis Hoover on the Alkothi kings.  The Greek word "turannos" is associated with "a man, resentful at exclusion from power, who exploited the discontents and the military might of the citizens to seize personal power." Aristotle noted that tyrants combined the roles of general and leader of the people, "demagogos".  Importantly, a tyrant is a secular leader as opposed to a ceremonial ruler. In Glorantha, I expect tyrants in Safelster or in the Lunar Empire - - not in the radically traditionalist Shargash cult of Alkoth.

Jeff


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