> From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_quicksilver.net.nz>
> Subject: More Durbaddath
> To: glorantha_at_rpglist.org
> Message-ID: <5.0.2.1.2.20050330222556.02d2f2e0_at_pop.qsi.net.nz>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
> Andrew Larsen:
>
>>>> Not a good example. The parallel would be if the Nativity story said
>>>> that Jesus was given gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but didn't say by
>> whom.
>
>> Me> Which happens to be the case in the gospels. Is our knowledge of Jesus
>>> be increased, diminished or unchanged?
>
>> Hardly. Although the Nativity account does not mention their names or
>> say how many there were,
>
> In other words, these details were unimportant just like the identity of the
> person who beheaded old Durbaddath.
We know _who_ the Magi were; we just don't know their names. Identity is not necessarily the same thing as a name. If it makes you happy, I'd settle for knowing why someone knocked off Durb's head even without his name. That would at least give us some details about his/her/its identity.
>> Using your approach to the text, all it would say is "Jesus was offered
>> gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh" (or something close to that.) That's
>> why it's a poor example.
>
> Wrong - I pointed out the identity of the person who beheaded Durbaddath
> is as unimportant as the identity of the Magi. Since you are engaging in
> hyperbole by saying that more information is given about them than many
> other gospel figures and that the episode "significantly" heightens our
> understanding, I shall just restate what I said before - that their actions
> have no larger significance. The entire story could be forgotten and our
> understanding of Jesus and what he taught would be unchanged.
It's hardly hyperbole to say that the incident of the Magi is a theologically important one. Ask a Christian theologian if the incident has theological meaning, and they'll tell you yes. It can be argued that the incident doesn't tell us anything about the historical person of Jesus, I suppose, but weren't not talking about the historical Jesus; we're talking about the mythology of Jesus. And in Christian mythology, the event is considered a significant one, regardless of what the names of the Magi were. There's a whole church festival dedicated to the event, as well as a major cathedral dedicated to them, and the idea of gift-giving at Christmas is sometimes justified by reference to the Magi's gifts (although the historical practice has a more complex history).
>>> Why? Because the old mindset has gone, there is nothing to
>>> _connect_ Durbaddath's worshippers to it.
>
>> It would be useful for _us_ to know,
>
> But the whole point is that because the Durbaddathi cannot know
> who beheaded Durbaddath, the position could be filled by _any_
> heroquester with an axe or guillotine.
But that doesn't negate my point that it could potentially be an interesting or useful bit of info for a GM.
>>> Who else would be telling the myths of Durbaddath? The Dara
>>> Happan mythology is known and Durbaddath is absent in the
>>> definite Plentonius edition save for a single chance mention on
>>> the Gods Wall.
>
>> So, what you're saying is that what is known right now about Dara
>> Happan mythology is the sum total of all that will ever be known
>> about Dara Happan mythology?
>
> The Glorious ReAscent defines what the Dara Happans see as
> important in their mythology. Lions and Durbaddath do not figure
> whether you like it or not. Given this, it's improbable to believe
> that the Dara Happans would care about the relative status of
> minor cults during the reigns of long ago emperors. Most of the
> mythology of that period is teased out from the myths of the
> minor cults themselves.
So, your answer to my question is essentially 'yes, Dara Happan mythology is immutably fixed'. That seems an extreme position, given Glorantha's history of being Gregged. Is it really important that the identity of Durbadath's beheader be a greater secret for Glorantha than the secret of the Godlearners, which is apparently known to a select few Glorantha-philes?
It's sort of like a murder mystery. Who killed Durbadath? Perhaps you know more than you're saying...
Seriously, though. How is Glorantha improved by your position? How does it expand or improve our understanding of this world? How does it improve game play? That's really the whole issue.
Andrew E. Larsen
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