Re: The Glorantha Digest V5 #271

From: peter metcalfe <metcalph_at_voyager.co.nz>
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 11:08:17 +1300 (NZDT)


Stephen Martin:

Me>>The big problem with the above is that the Tarmo Trolls are
>>not organized into anything larger than clans

>What source do we have for this, or is it just your guess?

        Tarmo Mountains

        '[The Trolls there] never formed a political organization
        like in the north, and the many trolls are confined to
        their clan activities.'
                        Elder Races Book p60


>>Bear in mind that this empire was a successor state
>>to the original civilization of the Artmali and worshipped Jraktal
>>at this time.

>Although I believe the first part of this statement, I am not sure I
>believe the second part -- why would the Fonritians worship Jraktal the
>Tap in the early Second Age? Are you basing this on a single published
>prophecy, which mentions Jraktal? The prophecy in Tales 8 mentions
>Jraktal by implication as an enemy god in Fonrit, not as one worshiped by
>the people there.

Tales #8 says that Jraktal (he's not in the prophecy there, you may be thinking of Jotimam or the prophecy in Lords of Terror) was:

        'Leader of the invasion of Pamaltela.  He was influential
        in destroying Artmal.  In Fonrit, he was conquered by 
        Garangordos and his men, but this was only accomplished
        by freeing Ompalam.'
                        ToTRM#8 p7.

And to make the implication explicit, Sandy in the past has stated [on the digest] that the Blues did worship Jraktal before they were conquered by Garangordos and even to this day there are still cultists to Jraktal to be found although many believe it too cruel to worship.

Of course this brings to three the perps involved in the maiming of Artmal: Uz (ToTRM#11 Pamalt cult writeup), Jraktal (see above) and Wicked Storm Gods (GoG prosopaedia). I think these variant myths are on a regional basis. The Uz myth is clearly associated with the Tarmo Mountains and may refer to the extinction of the Artmali population in Umathela. The Jraktal myth is associated with Fonrit as Jraktal is not recognized by the Doraddi in their mythos. The Artmal maimed by the Wicked Storm Gods belongs IMO to Zamokil where we know of two such gods: Sikkanos (who was beaten up by Pamalt later) and Keraun (who later repented).

>>The Fonrit writeup itself implies the major second age power in
>>Fonrit was the Sorcerers of Kalabar (who tortured the Gods of
>>Pamaltela). I don't think they are God Learners
>
>Although this statement, you must admit, does sound a lot like the God
>Learners, true?

Not really (although I must confess to having thought in the past that the Sorcerers of Kalabar were God Learners on the account that the Fonritans thought the sorcerers evil). The pointer here is 'tortured the gods'. The God Learners either subjugated the gods into their monomyth or exterminated any that did not fit in their dispassionate Logical Wisdom. Torturing involves a different mindset, methinks.

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