And there's a pretty hard-core
> vingan who's permanently like that I think, but the default
> Vingan the spearwoman I don't recall as having anything wrong
> with her fertility - am I misremembering?
You're remembering correctly. :)
Mythically, Vinga herself has had many lovers - and had to avenge more than one or two - but her 'family' is the entire clan. She is also the protectress of women in childbirth, so she's not particularly divorced from fertility. The Stead Daughter subcult of the Far Place has clan responsibilities to teach young men about wooing, sex and respect for women as well as weapon skills - very Scathach.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/pipnjim/questlines/vinga.html#stead
Vingans of the Red Women subcult renounce their fertility temporarily, and it is given into Ernalda's keeping. (Red Woman is also an Ernaldan subcult). It becomes theirs again when their vengeance vow is accomplished - as in the example of Naldara Three Crops, who after slaying every male of her Grazer enemies, broke her spear upon the altar and quietly remarried. (ST 177).
It is only if permanent vingans take the Red Woman vows that they lose their fertility forever.
Other Vingan subcults have no fertility restrictions - though if they're in a band their weaponthane or War Woman might have some pretty strict ideas on curfew. :)
> I'm wondering why a woman has to stop being a priestess at
> menopause?
Its a triadic thing. Ernaldan cults are more of a religious continuum than the male cults, celebrating the changing aspects of Virgin/Mother/Crone. There's a section at the beginning of Storm Tribe on Goddess Cults as Growth.
John
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