Sorcerers Everywhere?

From: Nick Brooke <Nick_Brooke_at_btinternet.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 21:15:54 +0100


Julian writes:
>>> The westerners believe that most societies (including pagan ones)
>>> are dominated by 'sorcerers' (in foreign lands : by quite primitive
>>> and/or delusional ones) IMO, including their own societies.

Some Western Sorcerers believe this, I am sure. That is not the same as saying all Westerners believe this. IMO they do not.

Yes, I can see how you get to "Not users of sorcery, but an inferior type of sorcerer" ... which is to say, I suppose, that a sorcerer might say pagans use only that inferior magic which the "false gods" (who are *really* ancient and powerful sorcerers) provide for their misled slaves.

> IMO, Malkioni Wizards use 'sorcery'. They are in fact 'sorcerors',
> and they dominate Malkioni society.

No, I don't like this. IMO Malkioni Wizards can be readily distinguished from Malkioni Sorcerers, and even more so from Zzaburi Sorcerers. The HW rules, Glorantha book and previous presentations make this clear. I don't see a compelling reason to change it now.

> The veneration of Saints is in fact a vulgar form of sorcery. IMO

In the opinion of some Sorcerers, yes. In the opinion of all Westerners, certainly not. IMO.

> Anyway, I do not believe (from what Greg has said) that orthodox
> Brithini believe in God. YGMV.

Unless I greatly misunderstand him (or he has changed his mind again), Greg thinks that the Brithini do acknowledge an impersonal and remote Creator, but they hold that this entity cannot and will not intervene within the created world. The Malkioni beg to differ.

> My bluntly presented point was that there are more than two approaches to
> sorcery ; that it is an over-simplification to reduce it to the simple
duality
> of zzaburi & malkioni.

Agree, completely. And even more of an over-simplification to treat everything Western as ipso facto "sorcerous". Not that you were doing this, but I see how your posts could be open to misinterpretation.

Cheers, Nick


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