Re: Re: What's a Keyword? Gender Issues

From: Manuel MOLINIER <astaroth.maillist_at_...>
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:30:48 +0100

YGWV, In my opinion depending on the culture a noble woman have to know how to defend herself with a dagger. The higher you are in a society the more likely you are to be attacked or to have to face assassination/abduction tries. And if bodyguards or other kind of thougth are very conveniant to protect you from normal people they are all but nearly useless in those cases. Women in courts were in my opinion likely to have learned how to use a dagger or knife.

Manuel

• Original Message ----- From: donald_at_... To: HeroQuest-RPG_at_yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 1:32 PM Subject: Re: Re: What's a Keyword? Gender Issues

  In message <20070117004111.95167.qmail_at_...> Jane Williams writes:
>> Donald:
>>
>> > I'd agree that upper class DH women are very unlikely
>> > to even learn how to use a dagger but in the rougher
>> > parts of the cities I'm sure many woman learn to
>> > use a knife or dagger for self defence.
>
>Trotsky:
>> It may well be that 'many' do... but a cultural
>> keyword (at least, as I
>> use and understand them) is about what 'almost
>> everyone' does, which isn't quite the same thing.
>
>And also about skills which are regarded as normal for
>that group. Those women learn to use a dagger
>*despite* being "Dara Happan female", not because of
>it. It's off their "sane human with self-preservation
>instincts" keyword :)

  The proportion of women who have that ability depends on   just how far down the social scale the Dara Happen ethos   is reflected in practice. We know there is an underworld   in the DH cities where anyone who can't protect themselves   ends up dead. And we know there is a priviliged elite   who can afford to employ others to protect them from the   rougher elements of society. But what about the majority   of people in the middle. How safe is it for someone to   walk to work, the marketplace, the well? If someone is   assaulted or robbed will the locals seize the criminal   and haul them before the courts?

  While we don't want to make it a rule that everyone has   some combat skills, equally if someone needs those skills   it makes no sense to deny them because the religious   theory says they shouldn't have them.

  --
  Donald Oddy
  http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/