Spirit Speech

From: Julian Lord <julian.lord_at_hol.fr>
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 18:49:38 +0200


Tom Zunder

> I must say that I like the MGF effect of Spiritspeech being a simpler
> Golden Age version of the spirit's root language. Perhaps this might
> be the spirit beginning to move closer to the Deities root language
> which may be perfect and transcend all boundaries. This could also
> explain why shamans can speak Spirit speech (it's related to their own
> language) but would allow them to have dofficulties with alien
> spirits.

I *do* like this idea :-)

I'm discussing something similar with Joerg, but my idea is that the RITUALS involved in speaking with spirits are locally defined, and have some kind of (at least spiritual) connection with whichever local community there might be. A shaman, then, needs the local lingo as an intermediary to get to the Other Side, because he must first convince the Spirits of the living. Spirit Speech itself I see as pan-Gloranthan, because the mechanical reasons for linguistic variation are absent from the Spirit Plane.

Perhaps spirits newly translated to the Spirit Plane must learn the language, as newborns must learn language from their parents (although I understand that some fundamentals like rhythm, and an embryonic rudiment of syntax, are actually learned *inside the womb*, unless the child is deaf, that is. There could IMO be some sort of analogical process involved for Spirit Speech.).

Local spirits, of course, may retain some memory of a mortal language.. The Greatest and most primeval Spirits, though, use language which is closer to the perfection of a God Tongue, and is thus difficult for a shaman, and indeed for an ordinary spirit to use or understand. In the deepest parts of the Spirit Plane, then, Spirit Speech would, progressively, become more and more useless.

But Spirit Speech being a simpler; more beautiful (natch) version of the tribe's language is perhaps a nicer idea.


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