Since the writing of KoS, it appears that Lodril has ceased to be a plow god. However, even though I suspect the Vendref do not call their "god of peasants" Lodril, it serves effectively the same mythic function as the DH Lodril and might as well be called the same thing.
Let me paraphrase from some work that has been done on South Peloria in the last year. Lodril and Oria are the "generic peasants" of DH. In areas dominated by DH, foreigners who want to suck up to their lords go to the Lodril and Oria temple as well as their own, and this will inevitably alter society. Hence, Lodril is worshipped. Lodril makes all of the variously oppressed peasants of Peloria into "Us Peasants". Sure, it makes the Lodrilli have to obey "Them Yelmites". But it also provides a bond between "Us Peasants", so that the Lodrilli can swap daughters and food. Without fighting each other.
The Vendref have a god that functions similarly - I suspect that Kenkacho and the Vendref "Lodril" are one and the same.
>Or is Lodril an accepted plowman's god among the Provincial Orlanthi,
>somehow playing the role Barntar does in Heortland, Esrolia and Sartar?
NO!!! Lodril is not a plow god - he is a god of "peasantry". The Provincial Orlanthi definitely worship Barntar and have for at least seventeen centuries - heck, even the Syllilans worship Barntar. Since the Provincial Orlanthi are not under DH political or cultural domination, there would be no purpose to worship Lodril. The provinces suck up to the Red Goddess, Moonson and the Seven Mothers - not Dara Happan overlords.
Julian Lord writes:
>> anyone who is a agricultural farmer is a Lodrilli or a rebel.
>This is an interesting generalisation, which might even work. So, we'd
have snotty-nosed
>English character actor/Megacorp types disregarding ALL muck-rackers,
whatever their Province
>and local mucky Fertility Cult? Sounds good to me !!
To a DH anyone who works in the fields is either a Lodrilli or a rebel. Since the Provincials aren't Lodrilli (because they have not been conquered by DH overlords), they must be "rebels" in the eyes of good DH aristocrats.
>> Another reason that there isn't conflict between Lodrilli peasants and
>> Barntar carls is that they represent different agricultural techniques
that
>> exist to work different soils.
>Disagree (Although the soil types, and farming techniques would indeed be
different as so
>brilliantly suggested). I think that the key difference is in whichever
magical technique is
>used to foster Male Fertility upon the Earth goddess. Soil types are IMO
more consequences
>than causes of religious divergence in the Empire. (contrary to RW !!)
(This is Ernalda
>switching sexual attributes for whomever pleases her presently)
No, this isn't really the case. Oria is worshipped as a fertillity goddess by many of the Provincial Orlanthi and by the Pelorians. She is not confused with Ernalda. She should be identified with Esrola (also called by many other local names) - Orlanthi the goddess of the earth's great bounty, manifest as food, children, sexual desire, and blood. Greg posted some Ernalda material not too long ago to the Glorantha web site - it appears that Ernalda does not "switch sexual attributes for whomever pleases her presently", rather that is her Great Sister Esrola, the goddess of the Most. Ernalda therefore is goddess of the spiritual earth, whose power is not found in solid things, but in actions, rules, ceremonies, music and familial care.
Just for good measure, the Orlanthi patroness of child birth is Kero Fin and Pela/Esra is the goddess of grain. Check out Enclosure 2 for some of this stuff.
>> The divide between these agricultural techniques can and has been drawn
out
>> on a map. Draw a line from Tork to the southeastern Yolp Mountains,
with
>> Jillaro and Bikhy being just on the southern edge of the line. North of
>> the line, the "Pelorian" agricultural technique dominates, south of the
>> line is the "Barntar" agricultural technique.
>But I don't think that such a line can be so decisively drawn in
Genertela, simply because of
>the ongoing struggle in the Empire between the Red Goddess and Valind (as
an avatar of Storm).
>Except as a single arbitrary moment of climactic history, of course. Such
a line would flow
>back and forth according to the relative fortunes of the Sun and the
Storm. (Much HQ involved
>- -.. )
Not really. This geographic line didn't even budge during the Bright Empire, whose squashing of Orlanth made the Lunars look like pikers - heck, they killed off the cult of Orlanth and for a decade NOBODY in Glorantha dared sacrifice to him.
Jeff
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