>To try and be a bit more clear, I'm saying there at least seem
>to be two different 'clusters' of (HW) animist types: the above
>sort, represented by the hsunchen especially, and chunks of
>the Doraddi tradition, who are typically at the hunter-gatherer
>cultural 'level', and whose magic is primarily one of integration,
>and have a 'classical' animisy world-view. Then there are the
>Praxians, the trolls, etc, who are allegedly 'higher tech'
>cultures, and who have a religion with a more totemistic/shamanic/
>spirit-cultic/neo-theistic 'spin' to it.
There is a simple explanation for this apparent difference IMO. The Praxians are known to have been a theistic pantheon in the good old days before they switched over (Genert their former leader is known in the God Learner cosmology as the Theist, just as Zzabur is the Sorcerer and Pamalt the Shaman). Thus their religion will contain theistic elements (spirit cults etc) that are otherwise unknown in more classic animist religions.
Trolls were originally animist but have acquired theistic elements since they arrived in Genertela by virtue of their hellish religion (i.e. Kyger Litor exists in all three otherworlds). This implies that the Pamaltelan trolls will be more animist than their Genertelan Counterparts.
Doraddi and Hsunchen were animist at the start and they are animist now. Hence their animism is more classical animist than the trolls or the praxians.
--Peter Metcalfe
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