> From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_quicksilver.net.nz>
> Andrew Larsen:
>
>> I'm in the process of working out the details of the Durbadath
>> cult, and the information about his mythology seems quite
>> sketchy. Thus far I've only been able to find three solid details
>> about him.
>
>> 1) He abandoned his son Votank, who later refused to accept his
>> amends. Later, he gave Votank to Yelm. (I'm aware this might
>> just be a justification for Dara Happan enslavement of the Votanki.
>
> Durbaddath's abandonment of Votank is Simon Phipp's interpretation
> of why the Votanki no longer worship Lions. However the Durbaddathi
> were still extant in Balazar at the time of the commentary on the
> GRAY and they may still be.
Hmm. The myth reads more like a Dara Happan myth than a Votanki myth. It justifies Durbadath's actions and makes Votank seem unreasonable for refusing his father's repeated apologies.
>> 2) Someone beheaded him, and Yelm gave him a lion's head as a
>> replacement.
>
> That is a Yelmic interpretation, not a story known to the Balazarings.
> It's probably a story about how Durbaddath came to be a Dara
> Happan cult during the time of Emperor Urvairinus.
I didn't say it was a Balazaring story. I'm just trying to figure out what bits of myths are out there about him, so I know what I have to fill in.
>> 3) Yelm or Lodril defeated him and then gave him a place of honor.
>
> If you look at Anaxial's Roster (p86), you see that Durbaddath resisted
> Murhazarm (mistakenly called Mashunasan) but surrendered to
> Dara Happa after his children were enslaved and served Urvairinus
> loyally. After Urvairinus's death, Durbaddath revolted and his cultists
> were treated as wild animals.
That's what I wanted--a myth I had missed. Thanks.
> Since the chronology of mythical Dara Happa has been distorted
> again and again (in particular some deeds of Urvairinus appear
> to predate Murharzarm and some much later), the chronology of
> the Durbaddath cult during mythic times is probably much more
> complex (that it was favoured by martial periods of Dara Happa
> and condemned during puritanical periods of Dara Happa might
> be a more accurate picture of what happened).
>
>> In particular, I'm curious to know who beheaded him. (I'm also a
>> bit curious to know why Yelm happened to have a lion's head
>> lying around, but I suppose that's just the sort of thing gods have
>> stashed in their closets in case it comes in useful.)
>
> Who beheaded Durbaddath isn't important. It's a myth of
> how Durbaddath came to be accepted by Dara Happa (and
> the presence of another myth indicates that this has happened
> more than once). The myth might be little more than an
> imperial regiment losing its patron god ("its head") which was
> replaced by the Emperor by Durbaddath.
>
> There might be more to his beheading in Dara Happa but it
> has no importance to the cult elsewhere.
I have to disagree with the notion that who beheaded him isn't important. At their heart, myths are stories, and myths that lack good stories aren't very good myths. Additionally, by ignoring the details about who beheaded him, there are probably important ideas being left out. Take the birth of Athena from Zeus' head, for example. It is occasionally told by itself, but the story takes on a much deeper and richer significance when the first half of the myth, how Zeus swallowed Metis, is told. Athena's identity becomes the product of wisdom and power, Zeus prevents the possibility of challenge to his rule by co-opting Metis' ability to give birth, and quite a lot more. So in our myth here, Durbadath's changing heads suggests changing identities or mindsets, so who he was before the change, why he lost his original identity, and so, seem to be important questions from a mythic standpoint.
The myth in Anaxial's Roster links his new loyalty to his conflict with the emperors. GRAY links his loyalty to his new head, so getting a new head is probably connected to his conflict with the emperors. It seems likely then that he lost his old head to the emperor and got the new head to make him loyal.
>> I also seem to remember that there's a really famous Durbadathi
>> warrior at the time of the Hero Wars, but I'm blanking on that.
>
> You are probably thinking of Greymane the Lion King. I've heard
> Jeff Kyer suggest that he might be using Pendali influences but I
> think it more probable that Palangio brought Durbaddathi warriors
> to Maniria.
Doesn't ring any bells for me. I'll have to dig for it, I guess.
By the way, when did Durbadath acquire an extra 'd'? It seems a bit
clumsy--Durbadath rolls off the tongue more easily, IMHO.
Andrew E. Larsen
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