Re: Humakht vs. Vinga

From: bethexton <bethexton_at_...> <bethexton_at_...>
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 17:42:16 -0000

Sure, depending on how you look at it.

Humakti are bound to very strict rules, and they have very strong feelings about things that most people don't get very concerned about. When it comes to those things, they don't bend at all. In this way, they aren't pragmatic--they will die rather than bend their honor at all, they will starve rather than give up their sword, they will see all mundane things that they care about destroyed rather than let death be abused.

On the other hand, Humakt himself lead Orlanth's war band many times, and accepted the position as Orlanth's champion. This implies the ability to work with other--inferior no doubt--warriors, and to get the best out of them. He was the great war leader, and great war leaders don't shun any tool just because it is not up to their standards. Sure, a humakti would rather have a regiment of his brothers backing him up, but if what is available is half a dozen assorted thunder brother initiates, a uroxi, two Vingans, and a Helering who doesn't even like to use weapons, he'll still turn them into the best weapon he can, and go do what is necessary with them.

In other words, Humakti are pragmatic in that within the bounds of honor, what they care about is getting the job done.

And John has them treat Vingan
> women "warriors" as equals! Which, IMO, is the fundamental reason
> the cults just will not get along - Humakti WILL NOT ACCEPT ANYBODY
> AS FIGHTING EQUALS, and that's exactly what Vingans want. Look at
> the real world - hard core special forces military types vs.
woman's
> libbers.

Vingans as women's libbers? That is a new one to me. I'd think the Vingan attitude at its most activist would be more along the lines of "I can do the job as well as anyone else, so I should be given equal chance to do the job," although I would think more typical would simply be "There is this job that needs doing, and I'm doing it."

I think an individual humakti who finds an individual Vingan to be a better warrior might be ashamed, and would no doubt work even harder at becoming a better warrior. As to your analogy, I'd think it would be more like special forces working with local militia--they may assume that they are better and should be in charge, but if they find the locals are better at something their response is to probably figure out why, how, and how they can learn from that to get better.

Now, certainly if a Vingan goes around trying to claim that Vinga was as good or better a warrior as Humakt, and she was annoying enough about it, they might have to demonstrate why this was not so. But I doubt many Vingans are quite that foolish.

*shrug* no doubt different people are most interested in playing up different sides of different cults, and no doubt cults tend to emphasize different virtues in different places, so I doubt that there is a "right" answer, but I think discussing different views is useful.

--Bryan

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