>So, we can also find this two patterns in Glorantha: cultures that
>incorporate foreign religions by assimilating them to their native
>religions; cultures that, as you say, emphasize the differences. I
>would tend to think that the lunars are on the first field, and the
>Orlanthi on the second.
Far too simplistic, as both cultures takes either approach as it suits them at the time.
>Yet, there is a problem in Glorantha that people don't face in the RW:
>magic actually works in Glorantha. IMO that means that it's much harder
>to assimilate two disparate gods into a single entity. After all, in
Glorantha
>a person can contact his god and establish a personal link with him;
and
>can identify its magical manifestations. It will be obvious to any
Orlanth
>initiate that belonging to the Orlanth community is not the same as
>belonging to the Kahar community, and that both worships provide
different
>magical benefits that are not interchangeable.
But the converse is also true. Two cultures can be merrily at war with each other, only to discover that they actualy worship some of the same gods.
More specificaly :
>IMO that means that it's much harder to
>assimilate two disparate gods into a single entity.
Gloranthan theists don't have such an objective view of their deities. The real question is - what _is_ the real nature of Orlanth and Kahar? Are they connected at a deep theological level? This is a question a theist Orlanth worshiper might want to ask.
To use your militaristic example. The British army and the U.S. army are not the same thing, but they _are_ very often on the same side, part of the same order of battle and under the same overall commander. So it is with the Sartarite Uroxi and the praxian Storm Bull cult. The two cults are separate social organisations, yet they are unified in their worship of their god.
Simon Hibbs
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