"So terrible was this knowledge that God could not exist with it. The One at last saw the Other and at last, broke. As had his sone before him, Yelm disintegrated."
Yelm seems to restore himself by solving the puzzle of identifying with those other than himself, attaining true justice. Indeed, even though modern (circa 1620 Solars and Lunars) may deny it, it seems that Yelm resurrects by accepting and understanding that he was wrong for certain aspects of his rule, and by acknowledging this, he become Illuminated. He become the ruled, and thus becomes worthy of ruling them (GRoY, Pg 37)...
"Most importantly, Yelm was Illuminated. He experienced the impossible. Yelm experienced being one of the Many while he was nameless and faceless. He had no contact with the One. He at last knew the Other.
"When this harmony was achieved, the Divine Justice reasserted the Cosmos and Yelm built the world anew with the released forces of Creation. Yelm prepared this by accepting the apologies of those who had done him wrong. Then he sent them out into the world again, one by one, to prepare the way again for his coming."
This could be used magically in two ways. One, a Yelmic leader could actually allow himself to be killed, either ritually, magically or truly. By being killed, he would follow Yelm's heroquest into the underworld and quest for self-resurrection.
Assuming the Yelmic was successful, his enemy would be summoned to him, and there they would make peace. this could be done in conjunction with Shargashi rites, and perhaps were used as part of the peace-making rites that enabled Dara Happa and the World Council of Friends to deal with each other peaceably.
We can see this perhaps reflected in certain of the Lunar New Year rites (http://www.glorantha.com/library/history/hle-5wane.html), where the Red Emporer, upon being presented with a necklace of enchanted animal hearts from the south, forgives and enemy and gains protection from that enemy.
The second way, more esoterically, would be that this could be used as a traditionally Yelmic route to Illumination, with Heroquesters following Yelm's route to Illumination. No doubt this would be a preferred route for Yelmic leaders and mystics. However, if you fail in this Heroquest, you *don't* come back.
However, with the Hero Wars immanent, I doubt that these rites
would be emphasised, as it seems to be that each side would
have to make a lasting peace commitment and negotiate in good
faith. And it seems to me that the Lunar Empire doesn't really want
to make peace with the Orlanthi peoples, but to destroy or enslave
("heal") their gods and ways of life.
>
> Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 23:31:24 +0100
> From: "Jane Williams" <jane_at_williams.nildram.co.uk>
> Subject: Newcomer to Prax
>
> Andreas Gustafsson said:
>
> (Ducks as flames break out)
Wow! are the Durulz now fire cultists, or are the Lunars going a little
to far in their duck roasts? Or are they simply spontaneusly combusting?
I had no idea that Oakfed worship had spread up into the creek. Or
maybe it's Trickster magic, turning Ducks in Lunar jails into pillars of
fire
or Zippos. :)
>
> Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 22:06:22 -0400
> From: Martin Laurie <MLaurie_at_compuserve.com>
> Subject: Question on Lunars
>
> >- - Do the Storm Gods get worshipped (Orlanth and Stormbull are illegal =
> in
> the
> >empire, correct ?) ? How about the Malkioni-style Invisible God ?
>
> There are storm deities in the Yelmic pantheon, like Doburdan and =
>
> to a degree, Shargash. As for sorcerous worship, this is usually =
>
> concentrated in Carmania where the Idovanic school is very strong. =
>
> The Emperor is also Shah of carmania and is therefore the top man =
>
> in the Idovanic school. Other forms of materialistic worship do exist.
>
> Mystical worship is also extremely strong but most worship is theistic.
Let's not forget that there is still strong Orlanth worship in much of
the Lunar Empire, within the Glowline, much to the Empire's chagrin
(Riskland/Skanthiland, Rebel Tarsh and so on), although most peoples
who would be considered Theyalan culturally have been indoctrinated
into 7 Mothers worship. However, while *Inititaed* worship of Orlanth and
the Lightbringers would no doubt still be weak, except for that old Godi
in the hills, *casual* worship of the Lightbringers and oral telling of the
old
tales is still quite strong. Lunar worship seems broad but shallow in
the conquered provinces, as when Argrath liberates Tarsh people seem
to return to the old Lightbringer worship rather quickly. Further, certain
of
the 'nuetral' Orlanthi cults are tolerated, but decried as old fashioned and
backward (Issaries, Chalana Arroy, and so on.)
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but don't Lunar Sorcerers from the
Heartlands
worship the IG in a Henotheistic way along with the Lunar Pantheon?
Or is this an RQ3 construct?
>
> Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1999 05:29:50 +0100 (BST)
> From: Andrew Behan <andrew_at_RedBrick.DCU.IE>
> Subject: Re: The Glorantha Digest V7 #14
>
> In any case is n't the Seven Mothers Quest a solar perversion of the LBQ
> from a certain POV, though of course it's much more besides. I seem to
> remember the dread Nick inter alia championing this POV a few years ago.
I'm absolutely sure that at least one of the 7 Mothers would have been
familiar
with the Lightbringer mysteries, probably Irripi Ontor. To hell with this
revisionism,
I *like* the idea of IO being an "Outlaw Priest of Lhankor Mhy", as opposed
to a
retconned Yuthuppan Seer. It could have well been that IO was originally a
priest of
LH from Tarsh/Saird who became Illuminated, studied sorcery, went north and
became a Buserian. That's the great thing about Illumination...it's so
great at
reconsiling *contradictions*, and a great case can be made for IO organizing
the whole
Red Goddess conspiracy from beginning to end. Only an illuminated former LH
who
also has backgrounds in such diverse and contradictory areas as logical
sorcery,
Buserian star lore and Illumination (along with perhaps Arkat practices from
Ralios?)
could have pulled off the Red Goddess quest. The Earth knowledge would have
been
pulled in by Deezola (who may have had some Ernalda/Green Age knowledge as
well), the Darkness/hells aspect/Blue Moon by Jakaleel, with Teelo Norri, YT
and
DX performing the more physical functions.
Seek not in darkness, for fear of corruption. Seek not in daylight, for fear of discovery. Ascension walks the middle path of Shade.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------Chris Bell -- argrath_at_xsite.net
End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #16
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