>just a thought, but didn't certain native american tribes know what
>plants to use to induce abortion?
>
>this may possibly be some piece of New Age misinformation, but I don't
>think so
The only plant that acts as a 'natural' abortifacient, so far as I know, is pennyroyal. and it's sufficiently toxic that it often kills or permanently damaged the organs of the women who use it. So using pennyroyal is truly an act of desperation, much like getting an abortion by using a coat hanger. This info isn't gospel--it comes from a friend of mine who's into herbs. We had a chat about the subject once and this is what she told me.
>even with the relative scarcity of plants out on the Praxian plains I
>think that it was the toxicity that causes the abortions, therefore I
>can easily imagine toxic cacti or other such plants doing the job
>
>it wasn't a process without risk (IIRC) in any case
>
>certainly seems more palatable than bashing in the head of your newborn
>with rocks, or any other method of killing
>
>but perhaps I'm just too sensitive :(
There might be a Praxian taboo about actually killing an innocent member of the tribe. Most societies frown on regular infanticide, and in a culture like Prax, where children are the gift of Eiritha, simply strangling a newborn might seem impious, whereas abandoning the infant allows the gods to intervene if they wish to.
>I do like the idea of a fixed population due to a fixed amount of water
>available
>
>This would probably tie in nicely mythologically too with being the
>same number of survivors who were at that spot, who have nor changed
I really like this idea as well.
>From: darvall <madamx_at_ns2.mikka.net.au>
>Subject: Re: The Glorantha Digest V7 #420
>Infanticide
>Recently watching a 'documentary' on one of the north african tribes much
>was made of the concept of Mingi, the baby or child that brought misfortune
>on the tribe. While much of this curse was related to physical damage which
>would inhibit reproduction there was the (heavily sensationalised) curse of
>having the top teeth come through before the bottom teeth which warranted
>death by exposure of the infant. It occurs to me that in a world where
>curses are real such a justfication would have weight. Infanticide could
>also be carried out for mythic or spiritual reasons not directly connected
>to the state of resources. What happens in any society to the chaos tainted
>baby? I'd suggest that the midwife quietly wrings its neck.
The midwife in Praxian culture is acting in the service of life. To strangle a newborn seems like it would make her impure. If anyone in the tribe would do it, it would be a khan, who acts in the service of death. Disguising a chaotic birth is probably a crime in Praxian society, since the mother must have done something to cause the chaotic birth. Need to weed out those godless chaos-lovers in the tribe, doncha know.
Andrew E. Larsen
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