> >Why? HonEel rescues Sinoda by killing Alanthore and
> >gets corn.
>In the original myth Sinoda dies (though prior to this
>he gives HonEel corn) murdered by Alanthore. So for
>Sinoda to live breaks the existing myth, instead of
>following it.
There is no original myth as such (although Greg's has since weighed in with his version - this being that HonEel kills Alanthore, whose blood revives Sinoda). Merely because Sinoda dies, it does not mean that he has to die in all mythical variants - it would be the equivalent of Heler giving Orlanth rain before going back into Aroka's mouth (which disposes of another niggle I have with your version).
> >Having them play innocent Sinoda diminishes this
> >concern IMO as it just becomes another version of
> >Sacrificial King (already prominent in Tarsh and
> >Esrolia).
>But that is part of the reason that in Tarsh and
>Esrolia such an interpretation of Alanthore seems
>likely to me. They already have an Earth tradition of
>sacrificial kingship.
But the current kings of Tarsh aren't known to practice it. And for them to tolerate sacrificial kings seems to me a diminution of their regal status.
>Sure Bliss in Ignorance may use native American
>parallels (though my copy of Campbell says that they
>are just variations on the sacrificial kingship
>theme).
I begin to see why John Hughes dislikes Campbell's scholarship. It would be far more accurate to describe sacrificial kingship as a variation of human sacrifice theme.
>But why wouldn't the Orlanthi use European
>parallels for their corn fertility rituals as well.
Because corn comes from Bliss in Ignorance and Honeel has adapted/perverted an Ignorant Rite. Corn is foreign to Ernalda/Esrola as horses are and thus her fertility rites will not work on it (just as they don't work on horses).
>Isn't the Emperor's participation in the rights 'sacrificial
>kingship'
I like think the Emperor fell into the category of "social parasite" and so was assigned the role as Alanthore. But Greg's previously stated here that his disappearance was a great shock to JarEel which would argue against that theory.
> >Pyjeemsab was not sacrificed. Murdered, perhaps, but
> >it's more probable that his ticker expired in the
> >marriage bed.
>Why?
I was basing this on the evidence that the only people present were HonEel and Pyjeemsab in the Bridal Suite and that it takes at least a third person to perform a human sacrifice (if to do nothing else than to hold the bowl to collect the drippings).
Greg has since stated that HonEel did sacrifice Pyjeemsab in a "manner that combined the Tarshite human sacrifice rites with the Alanthore human sacrifice rites." Must have been a real pain washing the bed sheets afterwards.
We can pretty much taken it as given what role HonEel played. And Pyjeemsab must be Sinoda, killed and later brought back to life. But who or what was Alanthore? Was the Red God underneath the bed?
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