Re: Animism

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_...>
Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2000 09:41:00 -0000

Me> > I don't see any relationship differences between the 

> > Grazer and their divinities and that of the Doraddi
> > for example.

> The Doraddi are a tricksy case; it strikes me that they
> cover both 'traditions', to a fair extent.

I'm confused. Before we agreed that the Doraddi were classical animists as opposed to the neo-theistic praxians etc. Now you think they include neo-theists as well?

> > As for lack of integrationism, what do you mean? The
> > Grazers can integrate their spirits.
 

> As far as the mechanics of the HW:RiG write-up are concerned,
> I must reluctantly concede. [...]

> Having said that, it doesn't actually make much sense to me.
> If I were feeling cynical (and I am, as it happens), then I'd
> say it smacks somewhat of reverse-engineering the culture to
> the 'rules': they're animist, therefore, they _must_ integrate
> spirits, QED.

I don't see a statement anywhere saying that they _must_ integrate.

Before you were saying that they weren't classical animists because they didn't integrate. Now when it turns out that they can, you do an arkat and claim it smacks of reverse engineering.

I don't see what your fetish with integration is. In the old days of RQ3, one could quite happily state that spell spirits were absorbed into one's soul or somesuch. Even if there were a blanket animist culture that didn't like to integrate, it would make them any less classically animist.

> Throughout, strike 'god' and replace with 'great
> spirit'.

Schmods, Scheat Schirits. They'll all divinities to me regardless of their worship rituals.

> I won't pretend to be a font of knowledge on the
> Grazers, but at the moment it doesn't ring very true.

Considering that the Pentans have been revealed to be fetish heavy for quite some time (look at the Pentan warrior pic in the Genertela Book), it looks alright to me.  

> Perhaps I'm being somewhat influenced by the old 'RW God Learner
> theory' of the religious 'progression' that runs animism ->
> totemism -> theism -> deism -> playing roleplaying games with
> religious themes.

Well considering that the Mongols were shamanic and lived right next to the people who invented the word, calling Pentans animist wouldn't even register on my gnat-straining instincts.

--Peter Metcalfe

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