Darjiin

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_quicksilver.net.nz>
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 20:34:09 +1300


Trotsky:

> >In the GRAY, the magicians of the Darjiinians are described as
> >Shamans (p96).

>True enough, but in the rather more recent source of G:IitHW, Surenslib
>is described as a 'great goddess' and Manimat and Yestendos as 'gods'.

So is the Invisible God (passim), Idovanus p119, Aldrya p84 and Balumbasta p231.

>Given that the book quite specifically does not use those terms to
>describe, e.g. Waha, Kargzant or Pamalt, the intent seems fairly clear.

Nomad Gods does appear on p165, Hippoi is described as a Goddess (p163) the Pentan History (p173) does refer to the Monsters warring with the Gods, Balumbasta is described as the Strong God p231 and the Mountains of Um where Pamalt and co live is mentioned as the place where "the most ancient gods of Pamaltela live" p238.

The intent may be fairly clear but it was not consistently carried through.

If I were to rewrite the passage again knowing what I do know, I still think I would have kept the line "To her worshippers, [SurEnslib] is a manifestation of the Great Goddess, just as Yelm is the Great God". The Great Goddess (aka DarOria) is a cosmological concept in Dara Happan metaphysics and her manifestations are not necessarily theistic entities.

That said, I probably would have rephrased the statements about the Manimat (although I do think his Dara Happan cult is misapplied sacrifice) or Yestendos to make their spiritual nature more apparent.

And an explicit statement about the Damuski shamans did get cut in the editing stage.

--Peter Metcalfe

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