>>What's wrong with the savage imagery
>>of her leaping up fully armed from her mother's corpse and
>smiting everybody in sight?
>My approach is that BG renounced the traditional feminine things
>when she renounced fertility.
Traditional feminine things is not staying at home doing the housework. Babeester Gor is still a women for all her wanton butchery.
>The breaking of the distaff is a symbol of that.
If the breaking of the distaff into a spear was the point of her transformation, her favourite weapon would be a spear and not an axe.
>Since Voria is the goddess of young girls, it's logical that her
>cult trains young girls in the skills they will use as women, namely
>sewing, etc. Where else do young Orlanthi girls learn these skills if not
>from the main cult devoted to them.
From their mothers, not from the Vorian Temple. Voria has nothing to do with household skills.
>I also wanted to contrast her to Voria as much as possible. Where
>Voria stays home and is peaceful, BG leaves home and is a warrior.
Voria does not "stay home and is peaceful". She is born in Hell and dances the rights of spring with High King Elf. She is closer to the pagan Easter Goddess than the Goddess of Needlework and Embroidery.
>I was unaware of this facet of Esrolian culture. Is it documented
>somewhere that the cult has no male worshippers in Esrolia?
It's a fact that only women join Babeester Gor. Esrolia is not likely to be an exception to this because they are more feverent believers in the divide in sex-related tasks than most Orlanthi are.
>>This seems rather extravagant given that initiates of both Maran Gor
>>and Ernalda are not automatically initiates of Babeester Gor. What
>>about Voria, Asrelia or Ty Kora Tek?
> IMG, the 6 earth cults have a certain overlap. Initiating into
>Ernalda is the adulthood rite for girls, so initiates of BG are in most
>cases already initiates of Ernalda.
The initiation of a woman into Babeester Gor is different than the general adulthood initiation of a women into Ernalda. In any case there's no need to state this since it would be implied by her communal background (ie being an Esrolian or Orlanthi women) rather than being an initate of Babeester Gor.
>For Maran Gor, I admit that I have less justification. Since the 6
>cults overlap, the crucial initiation points should correspond to
>biological changes.
If true, should women expect to join Babeester Gor and Maran Gor in their lifetime? I don't think so hence I feel it is a bit much to impose such identifications on the respective cult.
>The dark earth cults renounce fertility, which ought to involve a
>cessation of menstration. Since BG doesn't menstrate, I couldn't
>think of an obvious point where a BG might transit into Maran Gor.
Since Maran Gor acolytes can be fertile, it seems strong to suggest Babeester Gor initiates have renounced fertility.
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