Richard asked about glass in Glorantha.
I have an as yet unpublished story by Greg called "Glass" - It seems to suggest that the substance has very strange mystical properties and potent magical effects. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't.
Some real world glass facts that occured before 1640
The ancient Babylonians made coloured glass for jewellery. They hid the formulae in jargon that would have been accessible only to the cognoscenti - - Dara Happan or Fonritan applications there.
"See Through" windows were sometimes made from substances such as horn, varnished paper, mica and silk or even ice (if you lived in an igloo).
Glass making originated in the RW around 2000 BC with the manufacture of beads, seals and ornamental inlays. Egyptians made fine glass vessels in 1500 BC (Holy Country or Fonritan applications). The Phoenicians of Lebanon were the most famous ancient glass makers due to the silica rich sands of their land.
Around 50 BC glassblowing was developed. By 100 AD glass objects had begun to replace metal ones in middle class Roman homes.
In 79 AD when Pompeii was destroyed they were using brown flat glass of about an inch thick in public buildings. The stuff found at the baths was even frosted by having sand scoured against it.
By 270 AD the rich Alexandrians had windows of glass set in pitch, protected by wooden shutters.
MIRRORS DON'T HAVE TO BE GLASS. Mirrors were found in Catal Huyuk that were made of polished obsidian circa 6000 BC
The Incas used "Inca Stone" to make mirrors that looked like white burnished steel.
The ceremonial mirrors of the Aztecs were made from pyrites or obsidian.
The egyptians used polished copper or bronze and di the Indus Valley civilisations.
The Han dynasty in china made beautiful mirrors inlaid with gold and silver. They also discovered the principle of the periscope by hanging a large mirror high above a basin of water so that you could see the reflection of those around you - as described in "The Ten Thousand Infallible Arts of the Prince of Huai Nan" circa 200 BC
Silvered glass mirrors were found in Pompeii dated at about 50 AD.
Gosh wasn't that ineresting,
Cheers Simon.
PS Buy Questlines 2. It is a superb tribute to Glorantha. I have just read Greg's Address and finally understand GRoY, FS and E. It also has an enlightening look at Fonrit in it by some unkown writer. The jokes also provide one of my favourite insights into the Gloranthan mindset - The Carrots (heh heh), the Light Bulbs (ho ho), what joy I have found within those pages.
End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #414
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