>Nandan ("the birthing man") I'm less sure of. Unless you separate
>enjoyment of sex from the end result of a child?
According to ST they can't give birth although earlier writeups made it a major HQ for Nandani used only when a clan is desperate for children. My interpretation is that "the birthing man" more commonly refers to "male midwife" and is a way of dealing with the occasional practical problem of there being no woman available to assist with a birth. It can also be a way in which men can take up occupations which are normally women's work such as pottery. The male midwife is generally a temporary cult change for a short time but the use of Nandan as a bridge to female occupations is long term.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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