Re: tribes

From: Nick Eden <nick_at_...>
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 09:00:35 +0000


On Thu, 18 Jan 2001 13:57:49 +1300, you wrote:

>John Hughes wrote:
>
>>Peter:
>> > Given that the Lunars have clans too, I think Pelorian clan traditions
>> > are being adopted rather than the [Tarshite] clans being weakened.
>
>>"Clan" is a very versatile and vague label, and can cover a multitude of
>>sins *esp* when people translate it between languages. The Tarshite word for
>>"family", which in reality most closely resembles a Sartarite bloodline, may
>>get translated into Sartarite as "clan", because that is its equivalent
>>functional label. (One of the possible explanations for Illaro Blacktooth's
>>tagline).
>
>I don't buy this. The Tarshites are Heortling Orlanthi (even if
>they are overlaid with Alakoring traditions) and so would retain
>the Heortling clan traditions. Hence Tarshite clans are Sartarite
>clans. If your argument had been about the Orlanthi of the East
>Wilds or the Wenelians, then I could be convinced of a different
>clan structure.

I remain convinced that the Tarshites talk about clans, but increasingly mean something quite different to Sartarites.

Think perhaps of 18th century Scotland, where there are Highlanders who think, live and breathe clans and clan rivalries, and the Lowlanders, far more influenced by the 'civilised' English, for whom clans are a sign of the past. Sure they know that they are a member of a can (just as I am, technically) but it's not the thing that drives their lives.

To a Tarshite, being a member of a clan more or less means that they come from a particular village (most urban Tarshites wouldn't think of themselves as clan members any more than reform Jews find it important to know which of the twelve tribes of Israel they're from) but it's not much more than where we live. A family can probably change clan by moving to a new area and buying a few drinks down the pub. Couldn't do that in Sartar.



Is Carl Hiaassen shaking his head and saying "If I'd have written this, no-one would have beleived it?"

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