Arir and Bears

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_voyager.co.nz>
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 00:30:00 +1300 (NZDT)

Andrew Behan:

>Just wondering if anyone knew anything about the ErEsori, depicted on the
>C11th ST map in FS as being in Arir?

Nothing is known. The 1057 legend may refer to a momentous event in Arir (Kadash the False became Shah in that year).

>Arira: Arira (Gods Wall II-2, and I don't have IP so if I'm wrong I
>can't help it) has plaits, which are remarkably similar to those of
>the perhaps, bear connected, Iberian Dama of Elche which I saw in Carlo
>Ginzburg's "Ecstacies".

Arira is a girls goddess for Dara Happa and the Oronin Valley and has no ursine connections. Despite Orogeria's extensive connections with Arir, the placename appears to have been applied by outsiders*. According to a footnote in the Ivory Pages, the name Arir appears to have been attached to the place _after_ the invasion of the Ram People. Furthermore the Oslir river valley in Sylila is known as Terarir yet there are no bear people there.

• My learned rambling theory is that since Koveria is associated with the Darsen Hills in the tale of FaElsor and the Serpent, Arir lies to the south of the battlefield following the Pelorian Four Corners Cosmology. Menstruating Provaria is probably the Great Volcano vomiting red lava whereas EthEria would be some landmark to the east (the rise of Herustana?).

>I am certain that Arira played the virgins role in luring a mighty bear,
>like a unicorn, to the hunters and regretted this violently afterwards.
>Anadiki and Ariran girls are called bears, whereas Oria put bears inside men.

I would say that this role would be taken by the cult of ErtelEnari rather than Arira.

• --Peter Metcalfe

  ---