I find this an interesting attitude and probably not quite the case for Odaylans -- trapping is of value and I'm really not quite sure where you draw the line for 'commercial' trapping, as this has extremely ancient antecedents in RL.
> One reason is the small-scale/barter nature of most clans (money is
for
> traders) and the fact that Odaylans generally represent a further
extreme of
> this - the almost complete rejection of civilisation.
And what do these outsiders trade to get their necessary supplies so they can survive the winter? Exchange and barter is a two way street.
> Another is that most trapping animals will have totemic status for
certain
> clans (and for certain Odaylans!), so you can't casually go round
the
> Boldhome markets wearing a mink without risking a beating or worse
from the
> Black Oaks who hold it ancestral and sacred. A trader could get
around this
> of course, but you'd wear such furs only on among your own tribe,
where
> you'd know which animals were totemic.
AH, here we seem to see some modern attitudes on fur. WOuld not wearing these be _sacred_ and good? This was often the case -- I point to the norse berserks and wulfsarks and the wearing of feathers (etc) by natives OF their sacred animals.
> Thirdly, such trapping is clearly unsustainable - it survived only a
few
> generations in the US, which is as large as *all* of Genertela, and
> considerable less in Australia (koala pelts etc.) which is just as
large. It
BZZZZT. Check Russian or Canadian history. It took quite some time to danage the animal populations, in fact it took the advent of modern hunting and trapping techinques and baits.
> also goes against the hunting ethic and the decrees of the Lady of
the
> Wild - kill what you need to survive, and no more. Never kill
> indiscriminately etc. - over to Mr Kipling. It goes against the idea
of an
> Odaylan as Protector and Conserver of the wilderness, the one who
constantly
> fights with Barntar because of clearing.
Okay, this arguement I'll buy. But if you need non-meat food to survive and trading fur gets you what you need to survive... what does that make it?
> In the battle between the despoilers and the conservers of
wilderness, I
> suspect Odaylans have more in common with the Amerindians whose
lands were
Um. Got some bad news for you: the natives were responsible for some of the most destructive hunting practices LONG before they ran into the Europeans. Look up 'Buffalo Jump' or wonder what happened to the big animals in North American (or elsewhere for that matter)
> destroyed than the mountain men who despoiled them. The Lunar
invasion may
> have created a market for furs, and some Heortlings may be venturing
into
> the wilderness seeking furs. Odaylans would be the one seeing them
off
> again, destroying the trap lines and driving out the destroyers.
Er, interesting. Possible good game tactics but I don't think its quite that cut and dried and black and white.
Regretfully,
Jeff
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