> now do we have a situation where Ancestor Worshipping animists
> (apparently) *have* to bind their ancestors into fetishes in order to get
> any magic out of them.
>
> I think the crux is in that "apparently", and that binding one's ancestors
> will turn out to be a generally bad thing to do. I think (like Peter) that
> the answer lies at the Axis Mundi...
Or on p.107: "Ancestor spirits are never integrated, but respectfully invited to reside in a fetish." This doesn't sound like binding, and does sound like a use of Tradition Knowledge. It's quite possible that an ancestor could simply leave a fetish (or refuse to leave whan requested) if the descendent is behaving improperly.
> And I also like the excellent suggestion that Tradition Knowledge allows a
> shaman to bargain with friendly spirits from his tradition.
I keep going back and forth on whether shamans should have bargaining, or Tradition Knowledge should be expanded. One or the other must be true (or both).
David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_...>
Glorantha/HW/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html>
Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
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