>
> Klyfix says, somewhat strangely:
Hey, that's the best way. :)
> >True....but even at that level it seems that there's little real Common
> >Truth for even one culture. Look at how the Sartarites are described, as
> >Scots or Vikings or Greeks or whatever. This probably should be pinned
> >down in the future.
>
> Ur, so you want the Orlanthi to be specifically defined as analogs of a
> single RW culture? Why? Orlanthi are compared to Scots, Vikings, Greek,
> and probably other things, for a very simple reason: they are not a RW
> culture, they are a unique Gloranthan culture. We can see some
> similarities to the Scots, the Irish, the Vikings, _maybe_ even the
> Greeks, in them. But that doesn't mean that they _are_ Scots, Irish,
> Vikings, or Greeks. They are Orlanthi.
Well, no...I don't want them to be Vikings or whatever in Glorantha. I was suggesting that the culture of the Orlanthi seems to be rather unclear, and perhaps should be a bit clearer. Note the whole alynx vs. dog debate; really now, this is something that should be a common truth as opposed to something debated. I will admit I liked that story somebody told about how dogs got stuck herding and other work because alynxes were too good at it. :)
> >But I do have an old (1994) Grolier CD ROM encyclopedia that can give
> >me some idea about a whole slew of cultures past and present.
>
> Actually, what you have is an old Grolier CD ROM encyclopedia that can
> give you some idea about _Western_ opinions and beliefs, about a whole
> slew of cultures past and present. Never trust an American or Brit who
> tries to tell you The Truth about an African Tribe, that's what I always
> say.
>
Hmm, good point, actually. Still, I'd like one nice volume with a Gloranthan historical, mythic, and other overview. While Nick Brook makes a good point that there is quite a lot out there, it is in a whole lot of places. When the new Glorantha Game comes out, an Encyclopedia Glorantha would be a handy thing for both Newbie and Seasoned Game Masters. I will grant that it should not be _too_ complete; mainly it should deal with the stuff that happened or was seen by pretty much everybody, legends and lore and myth that are widely distributed, and certain basic common aspects of the world.
I'd like something that had, hmm, gradations of Truth. Examples...
Universal Truth: There's a glowing thing in the sky during the day. Everybody who isn't crazy or some sort of weird mystic acknowledges this.
Commonly Held Truth: The glowing thing is a god or other supernatural being, or an aspect thereof. Most folk other than Mostali or most Malkioni accept this.
Our Truth: The glowing thing is (whoever or whatever the local cults say). Here's where the real diversity of belief comes it, as one culture says it's The Emperor of the Universe while somebody else says it's The Loyal Thane of the King of the Gods and so on.
So if you looked up Yelm there'd be cross-references to the Sun Dragon and Elmal and Shargash and so on. Not one culture's universe view, but what stuff everybody has experienced and what stuff everybody sees different and so on. Twenty years of lore accumulated over many publications in one nice place. Maybe not on paper; how about a CD ROM? Hey, I can dream, can't I? :)
V.S. Greene : klyfix_at_aol.com : Who really isn't an arguer...
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