Re: She Who Waits

From: Greg Stafford <Greg_at_...>
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2001 07:59:54 -0800


>Glorantha Introduction to the Hero Wars states that the Tarshites
>regard Ernalda as one of the seven Mothers, the She-Who-Waits. Does
>this mean that in Tarsh Ernalda's magics, or perhaps those of a She-
>Who-Waits aspect or subcult of Ernalda, are subject to the Lunar
>cycle?

It's a Lunar trick, actually. "Hey, your goddess' unknown part is just like ours!"
A band of women have undertaken to prove it, and so far, it has worked. They will appear, I am sure, at the worst crisis of your Lightbringer's Quest.

But for the above and below subjects, I just want to observe that both are very unusual perspectives, and no matter how strongly held any views or truths on them may be, they should not be mistaken to be cultural norms.

At 11:39 PM 3/2/2001 +1300, you wrote:
>>IMO there are several alternatives, including where a Lunar-identified
>>figure is among Ernalda's companions who accompany her on the Life-Bringers
>>Quest - when they journeyed to hell to free all her lovers - Orlanth, Yelm
>>etc.

IMO:
When discussing the Ernalda Lifebringer I want to remind everyone that it is a very tiny group
The Ernalda Lifebringer's Quest is a minority opinion among the Heortlings. Basically, this usurpation of roles is a violation of the essential difference between the two core archetypes that define Orlanth and Ernalda. Ernalda is much more powerful than Orlanth in this regard: all she does is to fake death, wake up to help Orlanth on, take a nap and wake up to finish weaving the new Web of Existence. Orlanth, the poor sap saddled with the Active role, has to perform a thousand antics to prove himself. Such an active role for the female Lightbringer's Quest is likely to be a subcult of Ernalda, likely with a temple in Esrolia where a concentration of specialists would be able to support such a holy place.

>>So among the various Ernaldan factions you may have:
>
>>Ernalda as one of the 7M.
>>A Lunar goddess/aspect as one of the assistants of Ernalda.
>
>This would be HonEel.

I can actually imagine that HonEel herself was the first person to bring this form of worship to the Ernalda cult.

>>Ernalda as Dendara - spouse of Yelm.

Dendara ought to be so lucky.
I think that many make the comparison, but it's spurious except insofar as both are "ruling goddesses."



Greg Stafford
Issaries, Inc. 900 Murmansk St., Suite 5; Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: (510) 452 1648 Fax: (510) 302 0385 Publisher of Hero Wars, Roleplaying in Glorantha See our site at: <www.glorantha.com>

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