Re: Swords & Esrolia

From: Henrik Gudmundson <henrix_at_pp.sbbs.se>
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 01:17:40 +0100

John Hughes asks:
>The second issue for me is whether there would actually be many humakti in
>Esrolia. They may be on the outside in Heortling culture, but they at least
>have strong connections through the central mythology. In Esrolia, with its
>legions of BB Gori and Five War Daughters, where men are controlled,
>contained and in the main worship tamed-down consort gods, and where the
>entire rationale of the culture is posited on a *rejection* of the ways of
>men and the ways of sword and helm, then I can see humakti getting very
>short shrift. I seem to remember Gori carry round excised penises on their
>axes...

I think this is exactly why Humakt is a fairly popular cult in Esrolia. Because it is outside the normal hierarchy. Humak is not married to any Earth goddess, so the Matriarchs have no direct power over his worshippers. And if you sever the links to your kin, neither has the matriarch of your bloodline (or whatever they call their basic kinship group).

Joinig Humakt is a way to escape some of the ordinary ties that bind an Esrolian man, and a lot of Esrolian women as well. I think the Esrolian Humakti are, by necessity, rather firm. "Sure we'll help fight these invaders. Just cough up the dough and we'll be off." They probably have to fight hard to continually prove that they are worth this respect.
It is also possible that some Matriarchs realize the need for an escape valve for disgruntled males.

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