Donald R. Oddy
>><snip>
>>>A handful of farmers praying on a hilltop is not of great significance
>>
>>You reckon?
>But heros are, by definition, exceptional people with skills above normal.
<snip>
> So the heroic farmer with 10w3 inploughing is unlikely to ever become the
>prince with 10w3 in leadership and 15w2 in swordplay, never mind
>overnight. But in Heortling society to get his 10W3 in ploughing he must
>subdue Urox as well as perform other *combative* heroquests. That is the
>whole point of the article quoted. Orlanthi society is structured so that
>daily life requires the development of at least proto-heroic skills.
Additionally leadership is not only the province of princes. Great leaders
rise to their positions. They are not great leaders solely by virtue of
their position. RW history abounds with tales of both, Mao-Tse_Tung
(history teacher IIRC) & Lt-Gen Charles Warren (a well bred incompetent of
the Boer War). For a beautiful fictional account I recomend Elizabeth
Moon's St Gird as an example of farmer turned hero.
Further the Orlanthi 'Prince', by which I'm assuming you mean tribal chief,
is not far removed from his subjects. Indeed he is a 'farmer with other
skills'(KoS?). My argument is not that ALL Gloranthan farmers can become
heros, indeed it is unlikely among Pelorians or in the west, but that
Orlanthi life, in which raid, feud, & quest form a series of interuptions
to plowing, makes "A handful of farmers praying on a hilltop" a significant
potential threat to the invading Lunars. They, however, may well not
recognises it as a threat as it is just 'A handful of farmers praying on a
hilltop' not a priest in a duely consecrated Dara Happan temple. A RW
counterpart may well be the Viet Mihn being characterised by the French as
just peasants with bicycles, which most were.
Darvall
madamx_at_mikka.net.au
>From quiet homes & first beginnings
Out to the undicovered ends
Theres nothing worth the wear of winning
But laughter & the love of friends.
Hilare Belloc