The mythology of Glorantha is so rich that it seems to have emergent properties. I took off with one spontaneous question: "What fever is believed to be in Glorantha?" Oh boy, did I end up with all kinds of curious thoughts and speculations... Ah, I'm loving it! (an anagram for *hailing vomit.*)
I think I meant to make a simple post on the digest, but for some reason it bounced. Because of few adjustments I thought I'd make I now find myself feeling like wanting to write a full article. I have no idea where it would appear - if ever - but Zin Letters the Kalikos Society Fanzine could be a possibility.
I have to ask the guys - is #3 still short of material...
Anyway, my theme is fever, and I'd like to explore a few ways fever (and being ill) is seen, treated and shunned in Glorantha. On a more profound level, I'm afreaid I'm succumbing to literary act of Malia worship :) - oh, good White Goddess forbid!
I just got started and I've merely scratched the surface. I' d like to ask about a couple of things. But first of all
Secondly,
2) What kind of cultures should/could be dealt with. Is it ok to
create material for well established "homelands". (I do have kind of special angle in mind.) Or would it be safer to set examples on some less well known backwaters.
West is on focus soon, isn't it? Btw will any of the coming Issaries material deal with grotarons?
3) I think I will have a few questions, and I think I'd apprecciate
suggestions and I definitely appreciate critisism for those ideas I perchance post here. From you I'd like to hear that I'm wrong (or right) and why. Here is my thoughts on Dara Happans... (or could also be of some other branch of solar culture)
What is fever... (an example culture)
=46or a Dara Happan... Fever is an everburning afterglow of
the victory Yelm and His Sons had over the Shadows of Death.
=46ever is a reminder that Yelm is The Healer and Ruler of
All Life and Death. Fever is experienced as a good thing.
It aids the healing process. "Where is heat, there is life."
To die of a burning fever is never thought to be a death
of a disease. It bears no stigma for deceased. On the
contrary it is a sign passing on to the fireworld. Dropping
fever Dara Happans call a Lodril-fall. Allthough it is often
a sign that disease has been defeated they do remember the
warnings of both Yelm and Dayzatar: "The Fireworld is
=46ireworld and the Earthworld can only bring shame." :GRoY
The source of "lifewarmth" isn't necessarily first hand the Great Yelm. Pyrexy from battle wounds falls in to the realm of Shargash. Artificial inducement of heat is a common Lodril's treatment for all illnesses. But the truly 'sick' are allways brought to the light of Yelm, for Yelm the Warrior is the source of fires that burns away sickness. Drastic treatments include Arrows of Light,(sagittus therapy) and Janata Beating (shargash method). In these ways the sources of disease were originally fought against. Gentler treatments are given by the Bearer of the Balsam of Yelm, White Erissa. She fights disease in many ways including those Yelm Taught but never harms a living soul. She so perfectly invokes Yelm the Healer that she holds the title Daughter of Yelm.
Dara Happan healers watch over that Healing Fevers have the right harmony, ie the temperature is not far too high, the insence smell right etc. They prefer it hot though! Curiously for some reason Dara Happans don't suffer madness even if in extreme hyperthermia. But they may experience brief moments of Dayzatar. For a Dara Happan that would be the truest testimony of purity of the Healing Fevers.
-Topi-
(The Brain Fever is evil disease for Dara Happans, I think tehy call it Kazkurtum Burn (empty fever))
"There is nothing like desire for preventing the thing one says from bearing any resemblance to what one has in mind." - Marcel Proust, Rememberance of Things Past -
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