Propitiating Hurricane Orlanth.

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_interzone.ucc.ie>
Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 06:11:46 GMT


Vesa Lehtinen sez:
> However, I do not see why Orlanth-worshipers of any kind would be
> automatically _afraid_ of storms.

[but they would use rites to ensure]
> the thunder and lightning do not cause any significant damage.

Jeff Richard objects:
> I don't buy the assertion that somehow Orlanth worshippers dig destructive
> storms. 39 folk just died in Florida this week because of tornadoes.

I don't think Vesa actually offered that precise assertion for sale. I'd say, personally, that if a storm was considered Orlanth-sent, then to be ostentatiously unafraid of it was a sign of piety, though not either a religious requirement, much less necessarily a natural inclination. Of course, if Orlanth sent it because he's right narked off at you, yer toast. ;-)

> You worship Orlanth in part to propitiate such a powerful force or to
> use it against your foes.

Or to put it in more myth-congruent terms, because Orlanth will keep his unruly kin in check: such as the ones who'd call unmitigatedly unpleasant stuff, like a tornado (Brastalos, I suppose, or some miscellaneous Vadrusite black sheep).

Jon Thorvaldson explains the geas:

> Sometimes it is simply a ban [...] At other times it means that one
> will know how one shall die [...]

These are sort of flip sides of the same thing; the geas of the first sort can be imposed by someone who has Seen a (possible) death for the person in that sitution. Though geasa of the first sort can be imposed for other reasons, so they're not precisely that.

Slainte,
Alex.


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