Orlanthi bloodlines, etc.

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_yeats.ucc.ie>
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 20:16:09 GMT


The Jeffster, he say:
> Each Orlanthi clan is likely to have its own laws regulating marriage. A
> new clan may well relax the exogamous requirement - particularly when the
> marriage involves people who recently joined the clan. More established
> clans with a stronger sense of traditional idenity are likely to take the
> exogamous requirement very literally and often have lists of prohibited and
> favored clans.

I can see that, yes; in the extreme case of the latter, you get a triaty, and a list of bloodlines in the other clans yours may _not_ marry, due to possible incest (I think KoS describes both these circumstances).

I suppose that such variation occurs because Vingkot's and Heort's laws (I assume) will say something to the effect of "Don't be going and committing incest, now, y'hear", rather than specifying something as specific as "thy clans shalt be exgamous", or "thou shalt not sleep with thy auntie; thy first cousin, well maybe, especially if she's a looker". From the former, vague injunction more detailed tribal or clan law develops, based on accumulated 'legal precedent', or as it's more familiarly called, "this is the way the Knytha clan have _always_ done it!". A newly formed clan would be more free to discard much such baggage, and appeal to the original law and say "well, t'ain't incest, so there".

> As for sacred knowledge, especially initiatory secrets - these are NOT
> written down, nor even communicated to non-initiates. They are secrets.

I was thinking that such a prohibition might extend even to some 'public' knowledge -- a myth is surely sacred, even it's commonplace enough that even a stranger or a foreigner might be permitted to hear it.

Slan,
Alex.


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