> A couple of questions about Orlanth:
>
> 1) What is his relationship with the Water Gods? He fights Magasta, and
During the Storm Age, Orlanth and his brothers fought the Sea Gods
because... well, because they were there, basically. Heck, they fought
anyone who'd stand up and face them. Even after Orlanth mellowed out,
there were probably some sore feelings left from the injured parties. I'm
not sure if the bit were the Sea tries to invade the Sky somehow pissed
the Storm Gods off as well...
A more instrumental way of looking at it is that if Orlanth is going to
be a Great God, one who provides his worshippers with everything
necessary for their livelihood, he certainly needs to tame Water. So
there have to be myths (lika Aroka and Heler) explaining how he came to
have this particular power.
> 2) What is the Orlanthi attitude to adultery and concubinage? Orlanth
>has a wife who is clearly his equal, but he also has a concubine, Huraya,
>and he woos Inora as well. He may also have other women that I'm
He does? I'm sure you're right, I just don't recall these particular
myths. But there are other instances, like Odayla being his kid by the
Lady of the Wild, and I'm sure that not all the Thunder Brothers (if any)
are Ernalda's kids. The question regarding adultery is _when_ the O guy
was fooling around, and Time is a tricky concept when it comes to the
Mythic Age. But roughly speaking, Orlanth and Ernalda don't get hitched
until after the death of the sun, i.e. during the Lesser Darkness. That
leaves the whole Storm Age for him to sow his wild oats, so to speak. I
do have a feeling, though, that sometimes someone being a "son of
Orlanth" isn't meant literally, it only means they're in the direct line
of descent. Just a hunch.
Anyway, regarding contemporary Heortling mores: "Since marriage is
sanctified by divine oath, adultery is frowned upon and sometimes
dangerous." King of Sartar, page 243. Since the Godtime, Orlanth's people
have been 'civilized' (i.e. their social system has been refined) at
least twice: first by Vingkot, then by Heort. So you can't take the fact
that Orlanth did something once as an excuse for mere mortals doing it in
the present day.
Bright indications singe
cool undisciplined hours
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