A quick muse on HeroQuests

From: Dr Martin Hawley <martin_at_...>
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2006 09:32:26 -0000


As those who know me will know I am hardly ever moved to actually post as aside to reading digests. This is one of those moments. I fully agree with the metaphors used by RR and would wish to add that IMO Heroquests have one important shared facet...the are EXPERIENTIAL....sure we as modern mortals can read or write or talk about Gloranthan myths and those characters in the world of Glorantha can tell stories or collate scrolls and we can both try to understand what each Heroquests is like or what its benefits are...BUT each of us can never really comprehend a Heroquest fully. The ONLY way is by participating in the Heroquest..Its like going white water rafting or bear hunting or sky diving. This is one of the 'community harmonies' that emerges in Glorantha. The peoples have group ceremonies, and every adult gains some insights, practice quests, where selected adults gain more insight, and full heroquests where heroes gain more insights, that set them aside from normal mortals in their community.
This is also how the God learners committed their fatal errors, they thought that by studying others myths that they could enact them in a way they wished to gain benefits. They did not truly understand the myths and this was their error.
Cheers
martin

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