<< 1) Is my reasoning about going round full circle correct? In particular, are you ultimately reliant on inaccurate written / oral material to find out what happened in the past?>>
There isn't time travel in Glorantha, so from a strictly objective POV, I'd say that you are right. Gloranthans may regard particular sources as unimpeachable, but we know for example, that you can cast Detect Truth spells on two contradictory history texts and have both register as being true.
<<2) Can you use divination as a research tool? I understood that a God
couldn't tell you anything new about itself (new to you I guess) through
divination (more like the God is finding some knowledge within you and
bringing it to the front of your brain).>>
IMO there are limitations to what you can use Divination to do. Obviously, it is possible for Divination to tell you many things you didn't know, and in that sense it is a valuable research tool. But if you get into things like whether a particular myth 'actually happened' or not, or who created humanity, its going to depend who you ask.
Personally, I don't find this a problem. When it comes to mythology, I'm not all that bothered about what 'really happened', so long as I understand what culture X *think* happened.
<<3) Can you talk to spirits as a way of research history? Do they actually
tell you about what really happened in the past or do they just tell you what
the current myths are?>>
As good a way as any, I'd have thought. Minor spirits will be as reliable as mortals IMO (after taking account of their lifespan, ability to understand what's going on, etc.) Major spirits are effectively minor gods and probably aren't going to answer your questions unless they happen to grant the Divination spell. If they do answer, the situation will be the same for them as for deities, or at least the same as it is for giants or dragons. You can do it, but suggesting they might be lying (e.g. trying to cast Truth spells on them) is not likely to be a recipe for a long and healthy life (and they probably wouldn't work anyway).
Forward the glorious Red Army!
Trotsky
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