> I would also expect that most of those girls destined
>for more active roles in defending the stead would be
>identified ahead of time by omens at their birth, and
>by the observations of their families and priests.
>They might well be funnelled off to different
>initiation rites, as it would already be known that
>they wouldn't perform the normal Ernaldan initiation
>ceremonies successfully, and indeed might die during
>them.
I don't see this, a lot of the myths and stories about Vinga and Babeester Gor are about women who choose to take up weapons some time after initiation - they may even have children. There are also cults like Heler, Yinkin and Humakt who accept women. They are more likely to be identified before or at initiation.
> I think that only the strongest of the girls will be
>able to delay this action until it absolutely must be
>performed, because many will give in to their fear
>before then. Some may try to hang on too long,
This makes a lot of sense. In the same way that the men's initiation is a set of increasing challenges with a need to choose when to stop and back down, the women have to decide how long to struggle on dodging and hiding before seeking refuge in sleep. Of course the more challenges they win the more magical power they wield.
>or
>suddenly try to take an active stance against the
>Chaos/Darkness. These acts mark them as unsuspected
>candidates for Vinga or a Gori cult, or as girls who
>had not been able to learn their proper role. By that
>time, it may be too late for them to switch initiation
>paths, and they might die.
I don't think it's a matter of switching paths, I think fighting back is a valid response to some challenges which may indicate inclination towards Vinga or Gor. Of course fighting back risks losing and that will have consequences. Sleep is the safe option but a woman who choose that too early are not going to be very successful.
> Meanwhile, I would think that the boys will be
>re-enacting the Lightbringers' Quest in some form, and
>the battle of I Fought, We Won. The successful young
>men should then be able to symbolically awake the
>young women, and all return together to the welcome of
>the clan.
That makes a nice ending, although it could be a little less pleasant if one of the girls turns out to be Babeester Gor who defended Ernalda while she was asleep.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/ ------------------------------
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