Re: Cycles

From: nichughes2001 <nicolas.h_at_...>
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 15:34:34 -0000

>
> YGMV, but from my brief glance at Heortling marriage customs, radical
> equality but separate spheres of influence strike me as normative.

This would the the ideal of the religion but at the level of an individual clan things may well be less than ideal. There are several forms of marriage and some may be favoured over others reflecting local variations on the overall Orlanthi theme.

There are both patriarchal and matriarchal clans and for each there will be challenges for a member of the non-dominant gender in becoming powerful and influential. Part of this is that the way clan marriages work is that for most clans one gender were born into the clan and know each other from childhood whilst the other gender typically come from one of several other clans and hence have that many fewer childhood friends to call upon for support as adults[1].

I do not see how sexism would last on an overt level - few would marry into a clan that treated the lesser sex (whichever it was) too badly and the clan would die out.

[1] Normally, i.e. for those normal people who want to get married, have children and live in a stead. Wierdoes who want to become professional warriors/healers/traders or whatever operate by somewhat different rules anyway.

--
Nic
 

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