Re: Humakti Devotion

From: donald_at_...
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2003 20:39:42 GMT


In message <4.2.0.58.20031110073747.00b3fc98_at_...> Peter Larsen writes:

> I disagree with this. Humakti law does not, I think, trump
>Orlanth's law. Orlanth's law, rather, recognizes that Humakti are a special
>case and are given "extra room" in some cases. There is nothing
>particularly odd about this -- Orlanthi law seems somewhat situational,
>especially when it comes to cults -- Helerings and Yinkini are given extra
>license in sexual matters, Vingans are judged as men and warriors rather
>than women, and so on.

I don't think Orlanth's law makes any distinction of the sort. Unlike modern law it is largely concerned with damage and restitution. If there's no victim or the victim chooses not to complain Orlanth will do nothing. So members of any cult may break social conventions with nothing worse than scandalised looks and gossip. Normal behaviour for some cults does break Orlanthi social conventions as your examples.

When it comes to law however the same rules apply to all - they are responsible for any damage they do. So a Humatki who kills someone is liable for weregeld and if he does not pay may be outlawed. Now there may be a good Humatki reason for the killing and he may decide that paying weregeld is therefore wrong but this is a matter of how he reconciles cult obligations with local law. IMO, given that Humakt is an honourable cult and the members come from that background they would generally comply as well as possible. I would say the same applies in other societies as well - Humakti comply with local laws as much as possible and if they break them due to a cult obligation they generally accept the consequences.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/

Powered by hypermail