Re: sheep vs cattle (& dogs)

From: David Dunham <dunham_at_pensee.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 11:08:48 -0800

Mr Tines defended sheep (even if he was unaware of the enigmatic Young Varnaval, who appears in the Daga story in Wyrms Footprints; I'm not sure if there's actually anything in print which says Varnaval is a shepherd but this seems to be commonly accepted). I'm convinced sheep are very important economically, but it seems that in any culture that herds cattle, cattle are Wealth. This is why SFC GMs quote prices in cows. Even if you make most of your living as a sheepherder, you still value cows as a prestige item. King of Sartar confirms this, in that cottars (sheep men) aren't as high-ranking as carls (cattle men).

Nick's mention of cattle raiding suggests another reason cattle are a prestige item: they're what's raided. Presumably because they're bigger -- if you steal one cow, you've stolen a lot. One sheep just isn't as impressive.

Also, cattle are important if you don't just herd -- you need oxen to draw your plows. (I'm not sure I agree with Greg on the number of oxen you need, but he was recently telling me that unlike horses, oxen can't eat and walk at the same time, which certainly would limit their work day.)

Michael Raaterova wondered about herding dogs. Greg has been quite emphatic that the Dragon Pass Orlanthi don't have them. Again, I'm not sure I agree with him that alynxes fill the same roles, but for whatever reason, you won't find dogs in Dragon Pass. (Think of it as equivalent to the kosher rules in modern days.) In my game, you will find dogs among the Ralian Orlanthi, and of course among any Balazarings who worship the Orlanth pantheon.

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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