> just a quick line.. in KoDP, one of the recurring events is that your
> enemies are rumoured to be breeding Dogs!!!! the Yinkin cult of course
> ask for your help to smash this abomination against Orlanth........
> perhaps this is why cottars (sheep herders) are ranked lower than carls
> (cow herders/farmers).. because they have some mangy curs.. if Nick
> Brooke's dog use theory is correct.....or, alternately, because they
> have to run around looking after their sheep all by themselves, thus,
> a very menial task.
There is a minor seismic fault among Gloranthan scholars re: Orlanthi livestock.
Some people (myself included) believe that Orlanthi have a low opinion of dogs, goats, and those who use them (including low-status Orlanthi). Others (apparently including David Dunham, but he lives uncomfortably near to Jeff "no dogs!" Richard) believe that *NO* Orlanthi would *EVER* stoop to make use of dogs or goats. (Notably, however, your "Enemies" in the KoDP account are Orlanthi, and we don't know that they're actually doing anything wrong -- it's just that *your* clan gets visited by the cat-nazis).
To me this is rather like the old argument that the Red Moon was invisible outside the Glowline and always visibly Full within it. It seems to me that if Orlanthi had a strong opinion about dogs, we'd have heard about it when we first went to Balazar. Since many, many Orlanthi have adventured in Balazar, land of the dog people, without instinctively hating every Balazaring they met for being a doggone dog-loving, dog-breeding, dog-speaking cur, I truly doubt that most Orlanthi feel strongly about dogs.
That is: I don't have a "dog use theory", but some folk have a "what's a dog? theory".
I doubt we will ever reconcile this, or indeed need to. Common sense will prevail, and as that's the side I'm on... :-)
:::: Email: <mailto:Nick_Brooke_at_btinternet.com>
Nick
:::: Website: <http://www.btinternet.com/~Nick_Brooke/>
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