I agree. But losing your fertillity is more of a blow to 'most' women than to men. There's always been a largish number of men who dont care about rasing famillys etc etc etc. This does not forbid a woman follower just makes her very rare. Not to mention dangerous and feared.
ie Perfect for a dramatic PC or NPC.
>> But Orlanth is the Cheiftan of his people and excludes no-one. I have
been
>> re-reading the stories and legends of Orlanth and I just cant make him
out
>> that way at all.
>Bear in mind, what we're talking about is not membership of Orlanth's
>community (either social or magical (like there's a difference)), but
>_identification_ with Orlanth.
I take your point. And this apears to be a much lesser issue in HW than RQ.
A woman can call on Orlanthi rituals via her membership of the cult of 'Orlanth and Ernalda'
>> if Orlanth was a overpoweringly male Iron Hans or Red
>> John sort of a figure.....the way Storm Bull might be portrayed...then
I'd
>> turn no hair over his Cult being a male preserve. But Orlanth is, at
least
>> in some of his aspects, a father figure. The Chieftan and ruler, stead
>> keeper and Husband.
>Being a father and husband tend to imply maleness, no? The chief/king
>aspects are _not_ male-only. (Though some kingly positions contain
>a sacral or fertility component that may cause Complications; see
>Jane's eye-opening (and mind-bending) Deconstructing Argrath articles...)
>Jeff has helpfully lobbed in that women can also be initiated into
>Orlanth's variously thundery mysteries, cultural preconceptions
>notwithstanding.
>> Why should his entire cult be male only, aspects ok, but the whole thing?
>Given what's already been said in this thread, I'm not clear what
>"whole thing" is barred to women that you're objecting to.
The point made originally was that no Woman could be initiated into ANY cult of Orlanth, with HW I guess Orlanth and Ernalda would be the exception, but my understanding is this would be akin to a lay membership. It was this I objecting about. The orignal line was No woman can join Orlanth's cult therefore they all must be Vingans.....which I dislike.
In other words I think we agree on this point Alex! I have no problem with some 'sub-cults' of Orlanth being 'not open to women', Rex being the example used, but feel that baring women from ANY of the deeper mysterys of Orlanth worship just doesnt work for me. And if theirs a sub-cult of Orlanth following Vinga thats fine. In my game it would have about the same reverence of a Hero Cult might have to a local clan, but spread more widely (but thin...)
DomT
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