First, thanks to John Hughes for his response. That's definitely
going in my file!
I'm grateful he thinks my approach is useful - my fondest hope is to
drive some sort of consensus on various issues, which hopefully will
eventually make it into published glorantha. For the rest of you,
apologies if my grenade-fishing annoys you. And apologies as well for
the multiple sends last time around.
On to the meat (as it were) of what John says:
< Solar vs. Lunar views >
This distinction certainly makes sense. But who, precisely,
subscribes to each view? For example, would a Dara Happan from the
Tripolis who worships one of the Lunar gods (Teelo Norri, say) follow
the Lunar or Solar view? Are these views geographically separated
(Redlands Lunar, First Blessed Solar), or do you have different groups
within each region subscribing to one or the other view?
And if it's different groups within each region, what correlated
features go with the respective views? For example, I would presume
that the lunars are the modernists, probably from trading classes,
newly wealthy, etc, whereas the solars are the traditionalists, such
as farmers and 'old money'.
< Lunar balance view >
That's a great idea! It certainly makes sense with the rest of Lunar
philosophy.
< Orlanthi naturalism >
hmm... seems somewhat idealized, but in sum I think it works. I'm not
sure if I agree with you when you say 'the Orlanthi don't think much
about sex', but on the other hand I definitely agree that it's
relatively public and recognized within Orlanthi culture. Certainly
the communitarianism you describe feels entirely accurate to me.
< 'Infanticide is a necessity' >
Is there a gender difference - are girls killed before boys, or is it
just most recently born or sickest that are killed?
< 'Being a phenomenological culture, I don't believe Orlanthi use
abstract terms such as bisexual, heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian
etc. Men and women are characterised and valued for more worthy things
than who/what they rub their genitals against.' >
Again, I'm perhaps 75% with you here. I agree that the Orlanthi
wouldn't say 'he's a homosexual' - indeed, such essentialist terms are
generally a modern phenomenom - but on the other hand I'm not sure if
they wouldn't discriminate in terms of _actions_. Maybe I'm too
grounded in the RW, but the Germanic/Nordic/Celtic world doesn't seem
too fond of homosexual/bisexual activity. Plus, having them be
accepting seems to deprive Glorantha of an excellent source of
Orlanthi/Lunar friction!
Ok, John has taken the challenge on the Orlanthi. Anyone care to
detail the Lunar or Solar views more? Or would someone (Peter,
maybe?) care to take a stab at the west?
Regards,
Theo
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End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #410
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