Graham Robinson wrote:
>While the Barntar devotee is working on your fields,
what are you doing? Other farm work, most likely.
Given most food is communal, the extra person working
on the fields (any fields) increases the clans overall
production.
But surely this is how economic specialisation always works. You relieve me of day-to-day stead work so that I can concentrate on what I am really good at being an 'expert farmer'. My role involves devotion to Barntar, which gives me useful magic to oversome difficult problems and increase our yields. Overall productivity rises as a result of my magic, but to get that magic you have to support me while I forge close links with my god. The same argument applies to mailing the best potter the clan's pot maker as opposed to everyone making their own pots. He will probably produce more pots than we need that we can trade for wealth, but we have to support him while he does it. A community and organisation is required for this. Without a surplus, you cannot support me while I acquire the skills that when applied more than make up for the time it took to gain them in increased wealth. That is why I also suggest that a wealthier community is able to afford more specialists i.e more devotees.
>Now, some of the devotee's time must be spent on
directly religious duties, but there aren't enough
holy days to fill 60%. Much of his time must be spent
in helping the clan with his magic and skill. His
extra abilities should make up for the missing time.<
Ihe time taken is not only Holy Days. Holy Days account for the communal worship figure of 10%. The remainder is personal time spent talking to the god, or enacting his life. Now sure for a Barntar devotee this can include practical activity, when you 'act as Barntar', but IMO being a devotee involves commitment beyond everyday life, a commitment that only leaves you with 40% of your time to spend on yourself. When TR suggests you need to be supported, IMO it means, the clan surplus dictates the number of specialists it can support.
> I would support a figure of 1.5% for all the less
economically useful people - shamans, godi, merchants,
etc. - but I could see as many as 20% of adults being
devotees (mainly of farming or hunting cults) in a
prosperous clan. 5% would to my mind only be true of
a very poor clan.
An 'economic specialist' figure of 20% seems unreasonable for a culture of the sophistication that we are talking about. It is higher that urban populations, full time warriors, clerics etc.
I have cross-posted this to the Glorantha Digest as I don't see this is on topic for this list any more. Please reply there: glorantha_at_rpglist.org
"They were seven in all, and therewithal both sides rushed into the fight. Thorarin slew a house-carle of Thorbiorn's, and Alfgeir another, and there fell also a housecarle of Thorarin's; but no weapons would bite on Odd Katlason. Now the goodwife Aud calls out on her women to part them, and they cast clothes over the weapons." The Story Of The Ere-Dwellers Chapter 18
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