> Greg - given that IFWW is unique to the Heortlings
Among humans, that is. Note that some elves, dwarves, uz and Gold
Wheel Dancers also have a similiar experience.
> (and of course
> that includes the Heortlings of Tarsh, Holay, Aggar and Saird -
> misleadingly called "Alakoringites" by the southern Heortlings of
> Sartar and Heortland),
Misleading as it is, there is still some historical validity to the term, insofar as the northern tribes were following him before the Dragonkill.
> what do we know about the adulthood
> initiation rites of the other major Orlanthi cultural center -
> Ralios?
The initiation rites for adulthood would be the story of how they survived the Darkness, or whatever key event marked their identification as a clan (I can imagine that some of these events would be in the Gods War periods, for instance.)
> I assume that in Ralios there are probably lots of different
> adulthood initiation rites, since there were lots of different
> groups in Ralios that became Orlanthi.
Yes.
> Some might follow the Bull
> totem rites (the descendents of the Bemuri),
Bemuri, eh? Yes, though in Fronela they are called the Tawari.
> others might follow the
> Horse rites (descendents of the Galanni), and so on. For that
> matter, did any Heortling groups settle in Ralios in the First Age?
Yes, some did.
The Lightbringer misionaries set off in all directions. One group went
south of the Mislari mountains, bringing the faith to the people
there. I imagine that some of these Heortlings then wen on t other
lands, but probably with compatriots frlom the region they had just
converted.
It took over a century to get to Ralios, I think (at least to convert people) and I imagine that the incidence of Heortlings was probably pretty small by that time. Although, come to think of it, it is likely that pocket of Heortlings settled in Wenelia too, and probably sent some missionaries on.
> The religious rites of the Ralian Orlanthi, on the other hand, are
> likely extremely similar to the Heortling religious rites and
> indistinguishable from those rites even to most Heortlings.
I think so. There would be some drift over the centuries, but since the "environmental conditions" of the gods did not change significently, the rites are probably similiar too, save for the inevitable local differences.
Issaries, Inc.
c/o Greg Stafford
1942 Shattuck AVe, #204
Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
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