Re: The Missionaries

From: Jamie <anti.spam_at_...>
Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 13:27:02 -0000

The Missionaries are doing more than teaching the ways of Orlanth & Ernalda. They are expanding the Theyalan culture, all be it with the best of intentions. They are literally saving the peoples of the world from darkness.

If we take The Glorious Reascent of Yelm literally (yes I know its dangerous but its a guide), there has been around 10000 years of darkness. (Ignoring sources of light other than Yelm as I suspect you needed to believe in Antirius etc. to receive their light.)

A culture can forget an awful lot in this space of time. And the various peoples of Dragon Pass would have fractured during the darkness.

The method appears to be Missionaries are created in newly converted clans who then move out into the most similar neighbouring clans. Using the parts of their culture that will be most easily recognised "they carried their regalia in a sheep skin", they slowly build confidence and seek a common mythological language "forty two verses before he sang one which they knew".

This process is one of seeking and emphasising similarities in culture and ignoring parts that are different. In the end you are left with a widely distributed Theyalan culture that has effectively wiped out many of the more divergent cultural values and practices.

To the Theyalans it is unimportant how these people survived the darkness (what their practices are for food or shelter etc), it is only important that they can now see the light of the dawn.

Jamie