Re: Headhunting [was Re: Baron's Friends]

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_...>
Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 20:21:17 -0700


Peter Larsen:
>At 7:24 AM +0000 5/22/02, metcalphnz wrote:
> >IMO there is a thin line at best between the ancient tradition of
> >head-taking and Thanic Headhunting. Just as all rape honors
> >Thed, so headhunting benefits Than.

>This may be too esoteric for this list, but I disagree. The
>Orlanthi head hunting and the Thanic headhunting are very different
>actions. The Orlanthi remove the heads of dead foes as trophies, not
>even necessarily to disgrace the foe but to honor the victor.

So when a guest visits the house of a headtaker and sees the numerous heads on display, he views his host as a man of honor? I think a source of terror would be much more likely. What few published bits about headtaking among the Heortlings exist paint it as a bad thing.

         "Eringulf of Vanak Spear found his dying chieftain and received his last

         words. Afterwards as was customary, Eringulf cut off the head of his lord

         and carried it away to the woods.  Thus the conquerors [Lokaymadon's
         troops] were robbed of their favoured trophy and the chieftain 
spared a
         gruesome fate before his final death."
                 Fragment 1645, Tales #7

Since Eringulf is Harmast's father, his attitude towards headtaking of enemies is
going to be pretty influential among the Heortlings. Likewise the mythic mentions
of headhunting that we have blame it on Than/Thanatar.

>Which raises the question -- how common are the Thanatari in Orlanthi
>lands?

Well from the example of the Headhunters and the long-standing understanding that they were crypto-Thans lead to the suggestion of the Engoli headhunters in Runequest Adventures #5.

>and their elaborate cult structure wouldn't lend itself to hiding among
>the clan-based
>Heortlings....

The "elaborate" cult structure in Cults of Terror is far too unwieldly anywhere.

--Peter Metcalfe

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