mystic otherworlds

From: David Cake <dave_at_difference.com.au>
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 10:20:14 +0800

Nils wrote:

>  > SLH I can't say much about, but Yothbedta's Stream and other

>> places of Vithelan myth are definitely in a theist portion
>> of the Otherworld, as the actor's in these myths are mainly
>> deities (with disclaimers about the High Gods as previously
>> mentioned). So, it's Vithelan, but I don't think it can be
>> called mystic.

        Well, yes, Yothbedta is Vithelan, but I got the reference to her stream from a Kralorelan myth in which the actors are mystic and Kralorelan sages (the Reign Of Shang-Hsa, May His Name Be Cursed). Of course, the whole episode could be taken as another good reason why good mystics shouldn't give in to the temptations of the otherworld, but I never said that the mystics liked it.

        Anyway, even if the otherworld is kind of theist - I guess my proposition could be restated, in a manner that is a little less Four-Worldish to satisfy Alex, that the mystic dominated cultures (such as Vithela and Kralorela) still acknowledge an otherworld.

        While it might satisfy the rigid Four-World proponents to disclaim that such otherworlds are not essentially mystic, I don't really see the distinction myself. The followers of, say, Mashunasen might tell you that the otherworld is essentially an illusion and you should avoid messing with it - but they can still tell a bit about what its like, who lives there, and there will even be some essentially mystic aspects of it (like mystically illuminated gods and such). The distinction between, say, a Kralorelan otherworld with a large mystic influence, and a mystic otherworld, is hairsplitting that I don't care much about. Suffice to say I can't think of a culture that doesn't acknowledge an otherworld, and in such cases the mystics will have an influence on it.

	Cheers
		David

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