Underworlds and Storms

From: Chris Bell <argrath_at_xsite.net>
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 04:34:13 -0600


>Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 18:57:01 -0800
>From: "Pam Carlson" <carlsonp_at_wolfenet.com>
>Subject: various hells
>
>> Any Lightbringer(worth their salt, anyway) in any kind of Underworld
>would
>> kick major butt... According to Orlanthi myth, anyway.
>
>Precisely - as long as they found an underworld that corresponded to
>Orlanthi myth, or were powerful enough to shape an underworld area they
>found into something familiar.
>
>Which brings up the point - do we realy know what the whole underworld
>looks like? It's not really a physical map - it must be more a continuum
>of myths. People tend to enter the one they know, expect to see, and
>preform the right ritual for. So, what happens when you go to someone
>elses' hell?
>
>What would a band of lightbringers (for Orlanthi rarely travel to the
>underworld alone) do if they went deep down into the catacombs of Alkoth?
>Would they find locations from Alkothi myth, locations from their own
>myths, or a curious mixture of the two?

My personal opinion is that the two underworlds intersect when Orlanth and the Lightbringers arrive at Yelm's Court in the Underworld, and Orlanth is required to undergo the Requirement of Proof, where the acidic burning hatred of all his foes tests his honor, wisdom and compassion. In this myth, I see Orlanth being subject to the Enclosure of Shargash, to prove he was in deed truthful and wish to restore the world. But, due to his righteousness, Orlanth overcomes those dreadful fires *alive*, as the fires of Shargash burn only the wicked. This is the juncture where GROY mentions that the enemy gods sacrficed themselves to rebirth the world. Indeed, I can see Orlanth offering Yelm and Shargash his own power and life to bring back the world, to show them how serious he was about making recompense and coming to terms. This would coincide with Yelm's moment of Illumination, where the One becomes the Other. In becoming the Other, he becomes Orlanth, and understands that Orlanth now means to save the world. Thus, the two ruler deities negotiate, come to terms, and restore the world.  

>> However, the Solar
>> Gods have never really been able to be victorious against the Storm
>> Pantheon...until the coming of the Red Goddess.
>
>Well, the Storm gods are pretty much victorious against everything.
>Stomping things is their idiom. They ultimately stomp the Red Goddess, too.
> Why else would she have kicked them? (evil grin!)

>Pam
>

A fight between Urox and Shargash would be kicking, as would between Shargash and Humakt. It would be close, but my money's on Orlanth. Orlanth is every bit as powerful and skillful, if not moreso, and he's also a tricky,sneaky bastard when he needs to be.

Hey, is there a printed form of Orlanth's Quest to the well of Daliath?

Chris B
argrath_at_xsite.net


End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #371


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