Re: Real World Vingans

From: Jane Williams <janewilliams20_at_QFwP9GLwpywbMnDqFE_zh5h2gGHUDkJIekCuwai9qF1CHO00TotKUf_jYc-Wy>
Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2007 20:31:51 +0100 (BST)


> >> > Would they take the male role in marriage?
> >> Sometimes.
>
> I'll even change that to be, "If they get married
> they always have the male role."

Hmm... well, a Vingan who marries is rare enough that I suppose that's a possibility.

> > Presumably that is to some extent the point.
> Otherwise
> > there's no real difference between male and female
> > Vingans anyway.
>
> I'm not precisely sure what you mean here, but let
> me clear about what I mean.
> There is no real diference between Vingans. They do
> the job of men. They are "as men."

But doing the job of a man does not make someone a man. Vingans are women who do the job of a man. In the HW version of Vinga, they even wear clothing that makes it clear that they are women, not men, no matter that that's a pretty impractical way of dressing.

> There are many tales of how she "is a man."

I've never seen even one. Plenty about her fighting. Plenty in which she says "we women can defend ourselves" - yes, "we".

> The stories of her getting pregnant--the unique
> female role--are about how it was a bad thing.

I've never yet seen a story about Vinga being pregnant, or having kids. Where's this?

> But Vingans generally don't have children, or retire
> if they do.

Exactly. Not even as a mother, which would be a lot easier given that they at least have the right organs for the purpose.

> Certainly exceptions exist, but they are EXCEPTIONS,
> not the rule.

Yep. Heort, wasn't it? His *mother* (not father) was a Vingan.

> There is not any such story about "turning into a
> man." All her
> stories ar about doing men's things and being
> accepted for it.

Which does not make her a man. She claims her place as Orlanth's *daughter*. And there are plenty of stories about male gods finding her attractive.

> >> > What happens if both types meet? Etc....?! :)
> >>
> >> They perform the standard Vingan greeting, etc.
> >
> > And then start a fight over what gender their
> > god(-dess) is, I'd imagine. Vinga isn't from the
> Water
> > tribe, after all.
>
> Why in the world would they do that?
> Do men fight over which aspect of Orlanth is more
> correct?

If one lot started saying that Orlanth was female, I can see fights breaking out over it, yes.                                   



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