Re: Arkat/Humakt

From: David Weihe <weihe_at_eagle.danet.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 12:08:53 EST

> From: Nick Brooke <Nick_Brooke_at_compuserve.com>
> Subject: Re: Arkat/Humakt, Elemental Darkness
> Simon writes, dropping into Officialdom:
> > Unfortunatley, the Humath-Arkat > HumaArkat > Humakt theory is not
> > supported by Greg, and so cannot be considered to be canon until
> > such time as he is persuaded of it. Or until he comes up with an
> > even cooler theory of his own.
>
> Given that you agree this is a "cool theory", how many years are you
> prepared to wait for an "even cooler theory" before you start using it?
> I'd adopt what we have, until something better comes along. After all,
> where is "Humath" in print?

Regardless of whether you accept the "Humath-Arkat > HumaArkat > Humakt" theory, Arkat certainly made major changes to the pre-conversion Humakt cult when he exposed the similarities to Malkioni rituals for the Horal caste. Thus, the original poster's point (I have lost the Digest, so I can't be certain who it was) on HeroQuesting was probably correct.

OTOH, isn't Humct (Brithini for Murderer, as I remember), the Western False God of Death, pronounced a lot like Humakt, as well? Added to the KoS tale of Orlanth Arming himself with his sword, Humakt, the philogical (sp? word study, anyway) part of the theory strikes me as incomplete at best, and a magnificent example of Medieval thinking (which is to say, NOT thinking, just blathering sounds that seem enjoyable when they wash over you) at worst.

> Sergio asks:
> > If the dark at night is elemental darkness, where does it came from?
> Hell.
> > And where does it go in daylight?
> Hell.

Night time is not elemental darkness, due to the presence of stars above, and horizon glow at the equivalent of 5 AM and 7 PM. Go into a cave and put out the lights for Elemental Dark -- it is MUCH worse than night time. Night is just a mixture of elements with Darkness as the major constituent.

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