>> 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.
I suspect this is argument is over the definition of male and female. In the modern world we use physical attributes as the definition and will surgically modify a baby which has ambiguous genitalia so that it fits one.
To the Heortlings male and female are defined by the roles people take. So to them a Vingan is male, attending the moot as a Thunder Brother with spear and shield not as a Weaver Woman with cookpot and spoon.
Alternatively they have four sexes - Male, Female, Vingan and Nandan.
In either case children are technically neuter until initiation.
>> Certainly exceptions exist, but they are EXCEPTIONS,
>> not the rule.
>
>Yep. Heort, wasn't it? His *mother* (not father) was a
>Vingan.
I'd say children are very much the exception for Vingans and Nandani. Whatever the circumstances and roles involved. However mythically it's probably easier for Vinga to father a child than give birth. If you want a myth I'd suggest something on the line of Eurmal lending Vinga his penis.
>> > 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.
I suspect it would take a lot less than that. While theology is pretty low down the list of things to fight over, obscure aspects which don't fit with the local interpretation will probably cause insults leading to a fight.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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