Orlanthi are patrilineal but female promiscuity is not controled? This
would suggest that the biological father mattered less (i.e. not at all)
than the kinship group into which the child was initiated. This ties in to
a degree with the previous thread on initiating outsiders into the family.
(They are children until initiated). Essentialy your "father's" myths take
the place of genes. If so part of the marriage rites must be to identify
(at least) the wife to the man's mythic ancestors or otherwise tie her into
the family myths. Hence mythic incest would be a crime (incidentally
echoing a RW theory on the origion of incest taboos, social reasons not
biological) but not biological incest (i.e with a "Half"sib in a different
lineage. Or even a since divorced parent?). So an Orlanthi's step-whatever
is as much off limits as "blood" kin. Ernaldan attitudes may vary as
Matrilineal decent is fairly incontrivertable. Of course this too may be
altered mythicly. All of which puts a different (for me anyway) slant on
Argrath's claims.
Darvall
madamx_at_mikka.net.au
>From quiet homes & first beginnings
Out to the undicovered ends
Theres nothing worth the wear of winning
But laughter & the love of friends.
Hilare Belloc