Relativism and other stuff

From: elysia69 <elysia69_at_...>
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 02:49:29 -0000


>I still find it hard to imagine the
>most basic things about what life in Sartar is all about.
>granted - I know what gods people pray to or what rites/rituals
>they're holding, but Glorantha is getting more and more "alien", and
>we all know a lot esoteric stuff
>but if not for John Hughes' description of a typical hearth I'd be
>lost when players demand more details for
>everyday activities, since I can't just relate RL to Glorantha
>anymore as one
>could have when playing RQ's Pavis.

I think that the last three products haven't just been good the've been fucking excellent, clearly the best stuff for Glorantha I've ever seen. My faith in Glorantha has returned.

That out of the way, it's the little things that have caused me problems. If I wanted to see the show and I don't have any chickens how do I get change for a cow?. Is my son a Carl, too?. Is my wife?. If a cottar has a flock of sheep why does he work for me?. How is he paid?. I know all this is somewhere in Thunder Rebels but I can never work fast enough to get all of it into my head at the same time. There's nothing for it but to work it out in play.

Jeff Kyer:
>Not quite. I suggested that this be taken to the Gloranthan list on
>Thursday.

>Perhaps the respected gentleman would prefer his posts to be
>moderated?

Us veterans don't argue this one anymore because we've already done it. We've all discussed it and we've all heard of Joseph Campbell. (Arguments over the monomyth not withstanding) People new to this are going to need a hand getting their heads around this, yes, relativism. I don't like censorship, besides spammers and nazis and then only on a show of (virtual) hands.

My own tuppeneth, that each myth is a story that serves more than one function. One of those functions is a conscious manufacture to curb anti-social behaviour. If men are always fighting then myths will be manufactured to give solutions to that problem, like women throwing rugs over swords. In our religion a woman solved a problem to do with violence by using a rug. The whole society knows this. Social and individual intelligence makes that magic possible.

RW Joseph campbell, Jung, Robert Bly and quite a few others (my wierd favourites being R A Wilson and Hakim Bey) explain this subjective, relative, behaviour at great length.

>List Owner

I think this property is odal.

Regards,
Tom  

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