Daruda and Draconism

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_bigfoot.com>
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2000 11:58:10 +1300


Dave Cake:

> Perhaps a better expression of what I meant to say might be
>something like 'Darudism is draconic in the same way Keraun is a Storm
>deity' - technically true in some sense, but reasoning on that basis would
>lead you very astray.

Only if one makes the unwise assumption that dragonewts have the one true way of draconism or that all storm deities behave like Orlanth (which isn't even true for storm deities within Orlanth's tribe). I find it more productive to disabuse people of these unspoken assumptions then to try and say that equating Darudism with Draconism will lead you astray.

After all:

Dragonewts aim to become dragons through various methods but refrain from manifesting overt draconic powers because to do so will inhibit their spiritual advancement. This path is littered with failures (mutant dinosaurs etc) that have caused much damage. Yet the Dragonewts are not adverse to using these failures (triceratops, wyrms) for their own ends.

Darudists aim to become dragons through various methods but refrain from manifesting overt draconic powers because to do so will inhibit their spiritual advancement. This path is littered with failures (immanent masters, CanShu) that have caused much damage. Yet the Darudists are not adverse to using these failures (immanent masters) for their own ends.

Seems similar to me.

>Similarly, assuming that because Darudism is draconic
>it has much in common with dragonnewt practices or EWF practices
>seems to me to be a big mistake.

I am fairly positive that one can find a related Kralori practice for every dragonewt practice. The utuma and its related suicide ritual are known in Kralorela, frex.

>Though I could certainly have my mind changed on
>this issue, my impression of Darudism is that is involves more Eastern
>thought than draconic, and very little outward draconic manifestation -
>sure, there are dragons around, but most of the obvious draconism has not
>much to with Darudism per se.

One could also argue that most of the obvious draconism in dragonewt cities is a result of spiritual error and not as a result of orthodox draconism.

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