>Or is the husband now at fault, since he was not
>obviously "man" enough to keep his wife satisfied?
Depends on the story of course.
But fault has nothing to do with this.
>Would worshippers of
>Durev the steadholder occasionally give worship to Nistis to bring some
>*zing!* into their love lives and please their wives?
Yes, absolutely.
This is in fact the normal way that Niskis is worshipped.
Please understand that ANY and ALL those subcults are worshipped that way
all the time. That is the normal worship. Initiates of Niskis (and a lot of
those other cults) are rare. One appearing in a village is a subject for a
story, not the kind of thing whose effect is predetermined.
>> And how comes no one has mentioned Yinkin?
>> Yinkin the other great sensualist, a seducer, a sexual being
>
>Because we *all* know what Yinkin is about. :) My questions were
>specifically about Ernalda. It seems as if men have a much more
>open field to dally in Orlanthi society, especially as young men.
>It seems mythically that Ernalda owns her own sexuality, and can give it to
>whom pleases her enough, and can only have it bound by true and enduring
>love. I would also guess that there would be precedent for an Ernaldan Wife
>sleeping with the best friend of her husband while he was away, so long as
>the husband was willing - mythically, this would reflect the relationship
>Orlanth has between himself, Elmal and Ernalda.
The fact is that all of the deities' guidance breaks down at one point:
what will you do? It doesn't sanction or condone everything that it
depicts, it just says "Here's what happens, and what the gods did." But
your neighbors' opinions is where the "gods did" part is played out. Your
kin neighbors will ultimately determine "What it means" when your wife
sleeps with your best friend (Daniel Boon comes to mind here.) Just because
the power of the god strikes the lovers does not mean there or no other
social consequences. Concerning which, below.
>Unlike in certain sections
>of modern day western society, I would assume that "No one can make you do
>anything" applies to both men and women, and the behavior of a young
>Orlanthi woman before she is married would scandalize a pious Malkioni or
>Dara Happan. I can imagine while sitting at the Hearth a young woman
>bubbling about her suitors, and mother asking matter of factly, "Have you
>slept with all of them yet? How rich or handsome he is won't matter if he's
>no good under the sheets. I want grandchildren, you know." I gather that
>Orlanthi deal with sex in a very matter of fact manner, and the troubles
>associated with gender and sex issues don't trouble them as much as these
>issues do Dara Happans or Malkioni.
That is all correct.
They have a practicality and recognition of how things are, rather than
trying to say how things ought to be (like the Dara Happans and Malkioni).
>About Yinkin - Is Yinkin only male, female, or both?
Both. Guys go tom cattin' and gals are sex kittens.
>I have a sense that
>Yinkin is an "acceptable" trickster outlet, as opposed to Eurmal, who's
>worship entails cutting all ties to clan and law in such a way that is
>deeper than even Humakts. I can imagine all sorts of stories where Orlanth
>and Yinkin change shape, perform coyote style tricks, and where older
>brother Yinkin teaches young Orlanth crazy wisdom that prepares him for
>kingship or to save the world.
Certainly in the "telling tales" about them. Those would be the stories
that are made up for entertainment purpose and don't necessarily contain
mythic meaterial, ritual secrets etc.
>About Orlanth and Homosexuality -
>
>Not owning KoS (just having ordered it from the Issaries site),
>I'm not exactly sure how Homosexuality and Lesbianism are
>viewed or dealt with in Orlanthi society. I'm guessing that, again, so long
>as the relationship does not impinge on the sacred traditions of hearth nor
>family, that the practical-minded Orlanthi really don't care.
>So what if those two battle brothers play in the hayloft? Orlanth and Heler
>did so in Godtime. He still provides well for his family and takes good
>care of his wife! An Orlanthi man or woman who absolutely can not abide the
>sexual attentions of the opposite sex have alternatives in the various
>cults, such as Nandan (obviously), or perhaps Humakt, Heler or Elmal, where
>one can be an upstanding member of the Clan and not necessarily raise a
>family. Women have Vinga (again, obviously), Babs Gor, Maran Gor, and
>again, Humakt. These are, of course, merely my guesses.
You are correct.
Remember that people do not pick these roles, but are picked by the gods.
Condemnation is out of the qeustion.
>For people who need to change sex to participate in certain mysteries - I'm
>sure that obscure subcults can provide certain sex changing magic that will
>allow those born either me or women to take on the characteristics of the
>opposite sex for the duration of the ceremony. For those who are
>transgendered in Glorantha, I can see taking on the "right" sex as being the
>object of quest and ritual. Such would no doubt be very odd, but, IMO, not
>condemned.
All this is unique, extraordinary or otherwise outside the realm of being
able to say "here is how it is."
>And Greg gave useful feedback - thanks. 'May' was definitely the wrong word
>here, 'might' is better - we don't want to suggest the laws of marriage
>don't apply. its interesting that your comments suggest a 'devil made me do
>it' escape clause. (I have wistful visions of young Orlanthi hanging out on
>the sacred dance area on a Windsday night, [just before the DJ plays Khe
>Sahn] hoping to be 'possessed' by the spirit of Niskis.)
We all know that at least part of them will be so possessed before the
night is out.
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