>Andrew E. Larsen writes:
>
>> I'm still unclear on the Infinity Rune connection. Both
David and
>>Darvall seem to be saying that because she originated the
>>Fertility rune
>>and still holds it, she gets the Infinity Rune instead of a second
>>Fertility Rune. Sorry for being so thick, but I still don't see the
>>connection. Does the duration of her holding the rune enable her
>>to
>>transcend it somehow?
>> Speaking of original holders of Runes, isn't Issaries the
>>originator and current holder of the Issaries/Communication Rune?
>
>Those original gods, the primordial deities of the celestial court
(not
>namby pamby upstarts like Orlanth, Yelm, Humakt or Pamalt) who
>can be seen as "creating" the Rune in question or, more accurately
>IMO, "being" purely that Rune, are all so intrinsically linked to the
>Cosmos that they have the Infinity Rune. So, whilst Humakt has
>two death runes and is considered to be the holder of death,
>Kargan Tor would have Death and Infinity, being it's source
>(disputable as that claim is). A less disputable example would be
>Chalana Arroy, who is currently the holder of Harmony, whereas
>Harana Illor is the source and would therefore have Harmony and
>Infinity. I don't think any of these primoridal gods have any other
>runes other than infinity plus the one they are responsible as the
>source for.
There is an exceptional logic to this. First, I've always viewed the primordial dieties as being something different or seperate from the gods we know (Yelm, Orlanthi, Ernalda, etc). In the myths I've read their actions might be humanized but to a much simpler and lesser degree. While we have detailed myths of Orlanthi and his brothers, of Umath we know only that he was born, forced his parents apart, and fathered sons. The farther back we go, the fogger it is.
Also, if we view the earliest holders of a rune, especially the elemental runes, as the most basic expression of the rune then they have to hold the rune for the world to exists. If Umath lost all association with the air I would think the air would cease to exist and the sky would collapse down onto the earth. This is the source of the infinity rune connection. Regardless of time or place, this connection has to exist for Glorantha itself to continue.
Finally, the idea that they can hold no other rune occurs for the same reason. If the fundamental expression of something is tainted, then it does not exist any longer (at least not in an understandable form) and the universe collapses.
Hmmm, maybe these infinity rune and rune limitations are a by-product of the Great Compromise?
But, then "vestiges" of feudalism, Luther, Cromwell and much else remain too. History lingers. - George Will
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