Yelmalio at Night

From: Nick Brooke <Nick_Brooke_at_compuserve.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 05:55:01 +0100


Robin writes:

> When Yelm was dead the sun was gone. Nevertheless during the LBQ Elmal
> protected Orlanth's stead. How does that work?

Try this: "When Yelm was gone, a fragment of light survived in Orlanth's stead."

When the sun isn't in the sky (as all myths acknowledge), why would you expect to find a sun god in the sky? Presumably Elmal was knocked down -- not to the Underworld (like Daddy), but no longer hanging way up there in the Upper Heavens.

> If the sun was still there, was it dark?

Not in and around Orlanth's stead, which is rather the point.

When Yelm wasn't in the sky, the Sun wasn't in the sky. Solar gods had to trog around just like everyone else. They shone where they went (look at Yelmalio's rune spells), but didn't shine everywhere all the time (like Yelm used to in the Golden Age).

> Yelmalio does not shine at night. But during the day he cannot shine
> either, the sun is present (or is that a misinterpretation?).

Wait 'til mid-morning. Look at the sky, holding your hand in front of the sun. Do you see blank nothing, or a blue glowing Sky Dome? *That's* the light of Yelmalio. (You'd have to be mad to imagine it's all reflected Sunlight!).

> Where is he at night? Is he somehow covered by Xentha?

Yep: remember the Great Compromise? Maybe Yelmalio could fight off Xentha, if he tried. Maybe Xentha could get Zorak Zoran to kill his daddy again. And maybe that's why the gods agreed not to piss around like this any more.

Nick
:::: web: <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Nick_Brooke>


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