Re: Nandan

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_cs.ucc.ie>
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2000 17:57:47 +0100 (BST)

Nils Weinander:
> I was rather surprised that everybody assumes a connection
> with homosexuality for Nandan. When I first heard of Nandan,
> that he saved the clan by giving birth when the women turned
> barren, I assumed that he was a man whose wife couldn't
> have children and whose heroquest to have a child ended
> up with him learning woman mysteries and coneiving a child
> himself.

No, he's not. The story, any time I've heard it from Robin and from Greg, explicitly involves sleeping with another man; sleeping with another man without subsequent actual Birthing, is Nandan's "lesser magic"; and they adopt a female social role.

> That said, modern day Nandanites could of course be gay, but
> I don't think it's necessary. I think it's a valid path for
> a man with a barren wife as well.

As per the above, I don't think it is. Well, other than by the "bi excuse" route... OTOH, the term "gay" has connotations that may not be very helpful (such as Nandan/Nandan liasons, which wouldn't be "mythically correct" -- not to say they can't happen).

Cheers,
Alex.

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