Re: Thed

From: Graham J Robinson <gjr_at_dcs.gla.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 09:44:14 +0000 (GMT)


>>Except this is a myth told from the male perspective. It seems
>>unlikely>that a woman would punish MEN by making WOMEN go
>through >the same >suffering she did.
>
>Is this not a RW take on things with all women (not matter the
>culture) V's all men. Would the women of a Gloranthan culture not
>treat the women of another culture almost like another race as
>oppossed to the current RW where all women of Earth are one big
>sisterhood.
>

I'm not sure where this other culture comes in. The myth in question - "Thed becomes godess of rape by tricking Orlanth into making her so" - is an Orlanthi one. I believe its in KoS for starters. Its an explaination from an Orlanthi point of view of how the godess of rape comes to be female. Since it is an Orlanthi tale, Thed is a part of the Orlanthi belief system, albiet as a demonic, evil figure. As I recall it the KoS tale makes little or no mention of Broo, concentrating instead on the rape aspect.

The main problem here is that the myth doesn't work. Women who are raped DO NOT take the attitude that someone else should suffer the same fate. Most Orlanthi myths are fairly understandable from a human perspective - the attitudes of Orlanth, Ernalda, etc. are all ones I can recognise in other humans. The Thed attitude doesn't work for me - I'd like to see an explaination that makes more sense.

Graham

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

        Hanlon's Razor


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