<Do any of our anthropologists out there have infanticide figures from RW nomadic cultures? This might shed some light on the Praxian infanticide question.>
I can't claim to be an anthropologist, but.....
about 3 years ago i was working in a consultancy team for the egyptian government, and on our way to a site in the south-western desert we stopped off visit a small village about 350km south of the kharga oasis. (for those of you who have seen or read the 'english patient' this is the area Almasy etc were exploring - it is in the middle of vast sand sea).
the population of this village is 613 people, and had been for as long as history knows. the limited amount of water in the well only provided enough for that number of people to live comfortably (and safely) and infanticide was the rule whenever the population was at it's maximum of 613 people. the only way to survive more than a few minutes in this society was to be lucky enough to be born soon after an adult had died, making space for you. so far as i could tell the government knew of the custom but turned a blind eye to a situation it could do little to change.
this village was A LONG WAY from civilisation.
i couldn't find out whether the number of 613 people was enshrined in a formal 'legal' sense, or was rather customarily known and accepted. despite the remote and harsh environment, there was enough water for those who were there, and there was no grinding starvation-level poverty - but it was obviously a marginal existence.
all this is by the by, really, considering the question was about the _nomadic_ people of prax, but it might still be analogous (sp?) to the traditions of some of the oasis people.
right now i can't for the life of me remember what the damn place was called. if anyone is _really_ interested i could probably set about excavating my notes...
all the best, guy
End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #426
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