Convulsion Catchup: Nature of Theism in Orlanthi Culture

From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_toppoint.de>
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 98 23:23 MET DST


Reading Digest V 06 # 069 I failed my "pagedown" ability re: nature of magic...

Trotsky arguing with Sergio:
> I disagree. Spirits and gods are not impersonal, that's the whole
> point.

Actually, this depends. Robin gave a shorthand definition of the shamanistic way saying that it is about interacting personally with one's deity, or spirits, whereas the pure theist way (and he gave the Yelmites as an example) doesn't present the worshipper's ego to the deity, but only his part in worship.

The Orlanthi, so far thought of as The Model of Theism, actually are 2/3 theist, 1/3 shamanist in their relation to their deities, because they strike up personal relation to them and assign personality to the deities. (And this doesn't quantify their materialist or mystic scales in any way...)

Yelm doesn't have personality - he has rules. Rebellus Terminus doesn't have personality - he has rules to break. Orlanth has personality - he has whims.


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