Aren't sheep usually herded with dogs? Following the tale of Yinkin the Shepherd (which is too good not to be true), it seems that would be the case among the orlanthing.
I envision orlanthings to use dogs for two purposes: 1) herding and 2) intruder alarm. This makes them ideal companions for orlanthing shepherds, who also perform these two tasks. So, by no far stretch of the imagination, Voriof could actually be the orlanthing god of dogs, and that could be the reason why sheep herders worship Voriof.
Voriof-as-Brother-Dog could well have been Varnaval's aide, who kept his job after Varnaval got culturally obsolete.
(What does the bark of an orlanthing dog sound like? Maybe it's 'vor[io]f'?)
Thought: since Voriof is charged with herding Orlanth's unruly cloud sheep, he could well subsume the role and powers of Heler in some cultural contexts, since calling the cloud sheep would usually make it rain.
RE: Why Voriof is the Boy's God
To the general orlanthing, cattle are far more valuable than sheep. Since
the men would be occupied with the cattle and other important or
prestigious matters, there would be no-one left to tend to the
comparatively unimportant sheep except the boys, and they are too young to
be entrusted with important matters anyway. As the boys grow older, they
will be entrusted with more important tasks.
The Voriof myths would then, in gloranthan practice, come to describe the duties and tasks of boys. Thus, Voriof is the boy's god, but not the god of boys.
Not all shepherds are boys of course, since not every orlanthing are wealthy enough to have cattle. For adult cottars and stickpickers, sheep herding would be a relatively important.
Steadwise, i assume there's an adult (cottar, thrall or stickpicker) who is responsible for teaching the boys the arts of sheep herding. This person would be the 'pedagogue', in the classical sense, and also be responsible for keeping and training the dogs of the stead.
This is the Far Point version, IMG. I haven't decided yet whether Voriof is reckoned as the son of Orlanth or Ernalda, or both. Maybe he is Heler's or Barntar's son?
Michael Raaterova
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