I can't say I see things that way myself, no. The male way of life is for those strong enough and mobile enough to do it. The female way of life is how those who have to stay in one place are also useful. I would imagine that older (elderly) men would also end up staying at home, and they'd better be productive while they're there. I'd guess that that's when they usually turn into crafters. So maybe we're missing an age-related sub-cult of Orlanth?
> I was under the impression that Nandan was the male
> eqiuvalent of
> Vinga and would operate under similar rules.
I'm still not sure that they're exact parallels (far too God-learnish, for one thing!) but I'm sure there is a route for men to carry out female roles. Some are handled by the non-gender-specific cults like CA, though.
> Serious weaving is done in the loom house,but
> > no man is welcome there, because, among other
> things its where the
> > clan is run from: the first moot, the womens'
> moot. No mere male will
> > ever be aloud to spy what goes on there.
>
> Just as Vingans are not allowed to spy on male
> ceremonies? =)
I suspect we're not so much looking at the ceremonies as at the "lads down the pub" sessions. I've been a female engineer and a female programmer, and I still don't want to join in the "15 pints of lager and who can eat the strongest curry" evening. Nor the farting contests.
> I think that an Nandan male would suffer about as
> little or as much
> problems as a Vingan would to perform 'exclusively'
> male chores and duties.
>
> Sauce for the goose is, afterall, sauce for the
> gander.
Agreed. Stop all this unfair bias against men!
> A major heroquest? I really don't think that's the
> case. That's the
> thing, we don't know any of Nandan's myths.
But no doubt the Orlanthi do.
> Vinga's been done to
> death as it were, for obvious reasons.
It is easier to write fun stories about Vinga than almost any other deity, it has to be said. Reasonably straightforward challenges, solved by a mixture of standard heroism and trickery. Writing stories about really good weaving is much harder, no matter what gender the protagonist may be.
> To me, this is almost as bad as
> the attitude of "Vinga can do anything Orlanth can,
> but better."
Which still strikes me as pretty silly. She can do a few things better. (Thinking being one of them). I don't think there's any question of who would win in a fight, who's got the stronger Wind powers, or who rules the Storm Tribe.
> Now, I suppose I shall have to go and do a proper
> long-form writeup
> of Nandan. I had one lying around for Storm Tribe.
> Now to find it.
Please do! Complete with all sub-cults. I suspect we have Nandan and his sons and brothers, myself. And Ernalda's nephews, invited over from the Earth tribe.
Powered by hypermail