Re: Nandandies Re: Real World Vingans

From: donald_at_NoxHVvsLGly-ptalyCXeHoty3M1fChwaN-mG50oI2YJ4w2nwQgI89PHMoYaR3uGp6G2VC
Date: Sat, 07 Apr 2007 21:15:55 GMT


In message <Pine.GSO.4.63.0704071425200.3759_at_CVvZRYSHOVFdUwH46cOg-krIHZCz7rrC95kLn9_USxVpuaWh8_DT8aFtz6RFnOLDZxc2ow9hOzsOJZSGofiPKdLzDMT23WhOuWYnwhfDYe1wdKmSrX4icusmKhgu.yahoo.invalid> Michael Hitchens writes:
>On Sat, 7 Apr 2007, donald_at_C8tfOW0yQCM9qdwkpCLJ_lfqpEwrBlUTeCIPxsKYxj4pwAU1J3R9mCWjV6WxdDOIVPFt4YOPWo8CPgl-a8OdrII.yahoo.invalid wrote:

>Fair enough - I'd been mising that refernce to Orlanthcarl etc in my
>re-reading of Vinga. But then I ask does the "men in women's bodies"
>quotes apply just to the Vingan warriors or to all Vingans?
>
>Becuase I think that most Vingans would be farmers (like most Orlanthi
>men) not full time warriors.
>
>Because I see a real problem with the prohibition of Vingans and
>pregnancy - it's saying that if you are a woman and want to be a
>*farmer* you can't get pregnant. I can't see that sense in that.
>
>I can see it for a warrior - real slows you down in combat. But lots
>ofpregnant women in the real world work in the fields, so why the
>prohibition?

It's not a matter of working in the fields but working in the fields *as a man*. There are jobs in farming, particularly without modern tools and equipment, which require a lot of strength and weight - ploughing is one. And others put strain on the stomach muscles - not something to do when pregnant.

I'm quite sure many Heortling women often work in the fields without being members of Vinga. At harvest time everyone in the clan will be there except those who can't walk. Mothers will have toddlers gleaning. Young girls will vie for the opportunity to take water to the reapers. Bundling the grain and loading the carts will be cottars who haven't got a scythe and women. The rest of the year there are plenty of jobs which will be carried on by men or women depending on who is available. The Vingan farmer is going to be more like Rosie the Riveter than a typical woman.

The other aspect is that this is a cultural issue. The best way of explaining it is something which is very much "my Heortling" although anyone who likes the idea is welcome to use it. That is that Heortling society has a taboo against bringing death near an unborn child. The law against a Humatki sharing a hearth with a pregnant woman is one example but it goes further. Harvesting the grain means killing it and the grain is Esrola who is Ernalda's sister. Given that a woman may be pregnant without knowing it cutting the grain is men's work as is slaughtering livestock. Granted a grandmother might well wring a chicken's neck but by that age they are unlikely to have strength to kill a larger animal or wield a scythe all day even if they had the skill.

Now your Sartar may have different cultural reasons for the same or similar restrictions but I'm very much of the view that it's more fun to explore and explain them than dismiss them.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/

           

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