>I think there's a major misunderstanding between pictograms and
>ideograms here.
An ideogram is what you get when a pictograms meaning diverges from the obvious representational meaning into a more abstract concept, right? Sounds like Runes to me. In fact, half the old RQ 2 Rune descriptions sound just like descriptions of how the leap occurs from pictogram to ideogram ie a pictogram of a harp becomes used to represent the associated concept of harmony, Fate is a pictogram of a spiders web that becomes an ideogram for fate. etc.
My point is that both Runes, and what I think of as ideographic writing forms (like Kanji) work basically on the system one symbol = one concept. And Kanji is what naturally came to mind when I heard Western described as several disparate languages with a common written form. Technically, Kanji is logographic rather than ideographic, but its close enough.
>In glorantha, the Dara Happan alphabet is based on runes as can
>be evidenced by gawking at the Fortunate Succession. The Pelandans
>next door have used the same runes and turned it into an ideogrammic
>script which hardly anyone uses. Thus whether or not a script is
>based on runes has buggerall to do with whether it is an ideographic
>script or not.
Sure. (well, actually I'd say the Dara Happan phonological use descends from the Pelandan ideogrammic more than the reverse, but I'm not sure if you really meant to imply that anyway). But the classic God Leaner use of Runes both comes from the West and is ideographic. Which makes an ideographic script for Western seem more natural.
>>2) I wished specifically to avoid the Latin parallel, as I like to stress
>>the differences between the West and medieval Europe rather than the
>>similarities. This is purely a matter of taste.
>
>So stress Arabic instead...
Its still a 'people of the book' parallel, grafting details from Earth monotheists onto Gloranthas monotheists, when its perhaps not the best fit. But better, I grant you. Still not to my personal taste.
Still not denying the plausibility of the alternative, just that I personally don't like it as much.
On a completely different issue, also replying to Peter
>>5. What does the Chalk Man represent?
>
>It's a large chalk figure of a man etched into some chalk hills. I
>imagine it's got huge bollocks.
Actually, I always imagined it to be more like the Long Man of Willington, rather than the Rude Man of Cerne (he of the huge appendage). This is probably because of the Long Mans inspiring appearance in Sandman (the comic, the World Fantasy Award winning 'Midsummer Nights Dream' to be precise).
There is a reference to the Chalk man in KOS, p160, where is talks about someone going 'into the hill at the Chalk Man' and the 'secret door' - - I liked combining this with the image of the Long Man opening his door mentioned above.
Not that I'm not a big fan of the Rude Man, you understand. A rather fabulous poster of his enormity adorns the door from my kitchen to my laundry.
Of course, the Chalk Man could look like the Long Man With Huge Bollocks.
Cheers David '...never support evil as a preferred lifestyle' -TSR Inc corporate standards OldThinkers UnBellyFeel MoonWise! - Nick Brooke ------------------------------
End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #168
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