Re: Female power in Esrolia and the Empire

From: Alison Place <alison_place_at_...>
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 19:44:08 -0700 (PDT)

        Peter Metcalfe wrote, "They [7M] didn't know what the end result of the ritual would be. They thought they were bringing a curse upon the Carmanian Empire."

        This, I think, is incorrect. While they were certainly resisting the Carmanians, the fact that they expected their new deity to incarnate in the girl Teelo Norri, and that they were supposedly trying to bring back an old moon goddess, both show that a goddess was the expected result.

        Thanks for the reference to Great Sister and Moonson in ILH1. As everyone can read different things into the same words, so did I. "Deneskerva's task is to...be strong when he is weak" is, to me, a perfect invitation for some to try and render the Emperor always weak, and the Great Sister the effective Empress. Over time, why not Empress in name as well as fact? Shift Moonson to Great Brother. She's already been the effective Regent, at the very least, during Takenegi's cowardly (Orlanthi POV ;-) ) refusal to perform his duties. And she is currently running much of the show now while the current Mask is uninterested.

        I also agree that while this may be official theology, the reality may be far different. I also am quite happy with the notion that appropriate figureheads or heroes are acclaimed as the reincarnations of Moonson whenever convenient.

        LC asked about evidence for kingly sacrifices. I had assumed that this was a settled point, but went looking. Turns out there's not much in my references. In KoS, it all refers to Tarsh. On p227-8 you find "This was a great time for the Earth Tribe. In Tarsh the goddess controlled the sacrificial Illaro dynasty, and in Sartar the Orendanae sat upon the tribal rings of the three main tribes. In Esrolia they were strongest of course, which was the reign of the Hig Queen Bruvala. With help from below, and all around, the Feathered Horse Queen gained great following and power."

        Except that in the history of the Illaro dynasty there's no mention of outright sacrifice of the kings.  Illaro dies during a sexual ceremony, so I might count him, and also perhaps assassinated Halifitoor, buried in a freshly plowed field. That certainly sounds as though it has Earth overtones, especially with Sorana Tor being pre-eminent priestess, and Maran Gor figuring heavily in Tarshite history. Also, on p114 the phrase "sacrificial murders of their kings" is applied to the Tarshites, but no mention is made of Esrolians doing this. Lastly, there's Hon-Eel's unfortunate husband, but that's a Lunar plot.

        Nothing in the Genertela Book refers to Esrolians practising sacrifice, either. However, as everyone knows, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.  Are there other sources that anyone else knows of?

Alison                 



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