Orlanth, Godlearners and feminism

From: Richard, Jeff <Jeff.Richard_at_metrokc.gov>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 12:20:45 -0800


Geez,

I get all busy at work for a few weeks and when I return, the digest gets all loopy.

Like this little entry:
>How do we actually know that Orlanth and Humakt existed virtually as they
>are "now" known before the Dawn? How much of "true" pre-Godlearner
>mythology still exists? The Godlearners didn't need to necessarily rule
>the Orlanthi to take over their myths--I would speculate that this was
>one of the things that their deep space missions discovered.

Huh? Look, the reason we know that the myths of Orlanth and Humakt haven't changed an awful lot between the First and Third age is because we have two sources for these myths. The first is KoS, Wyrms Footprints, etc - which are Third Age in orientation. The second is stuff like Harmastsaga, the Immolation Song - which are First Age in orientation. With the BIG exception of what happened when the Lightbringers Quest traveled through the Underworld (a discovery of Harmast), these myths are pretty much in line. Third Age myths rant a bit more about Chaos - First Age myths rant more about PreDark. The core Orlanthi myths seem pretty well established by the time Harmast is finished.

As for the question of women Orlanth worshippers - to be perfectly honest, most of the problem is semantic. Men and women worship Orlanth and Ernalda. Women call up Orlanth and many other gods, men call upon Ernalda and many other goddesses. At that level of generality, of course Orlanth is open to women worshippers.

On the other hand, only males go through the men's initiation rites (ie. Heort's initiation). Only females go through the women's initiation rites. Kallyr Starbrow was initiated as a woman, not a man. At this level of generality, of course the path of Orlanth isn't open to women initiates.

However, Orlanth has shown people a number of ways to call upon his aspects - - through ceremonies, through feats, through offices. These aren't necessary dependent upon having gone through "Orlanth's initiation" - a woman who becomes a tribal king will be able to wield Orlanth's kingship powers. A woman can devote herself to Orlanth's stormy powers and know various storm feats - again without necessary being an "Orlanth initiate".

The problem is that RQ's entire game-construct of initiates, priests, runespells and the like, are misleading when applied to the Orlanthi.

Jeff


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