Re: Ernalda Options

From: John Hughes <john.hughes_at__O2FegcfQii7oPjTtWaQQSoukviA-gW1kMIH7L9kD03W2eSAa7_miIPDPIz8DULg>
Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2007 10:28:08 +1000

I've always wondered about the exact details of the Marriage of Orlanth and Ernalda. From the Ernaldan side it seems very uneven and to her disadvantage, almost a forced concubinage. Orlanthi men seem to have the advantage in most circumstances. This could be a consequence of the type of games folk play, the bias of published scenarios, the rules structure, a cause/effect of Glorantha being almost an exclusively male domain, or the conservative seventies/eighties values and feel that attach to Glorantha as a whole - I'm not sure. I'd love a mythic explanation.

The restrictive gender roles in Heortling society have been carefully packaged as not representing historic or cultural mores but as an outcome of the Marriage of Earth and Storm. Yet it is in essence a conservative, patriarchal setup, and you have to wonder what the terms of the Marriage were and what Ernalda gets out of it.

Why can't a Heortling woman pick up a spear without having to join a marginal cult, which may or may not, according to your vision and soul, entail 'deviant' sexuality? Where are the warrior men of the Earth tribe? (And where, incidently, are the Goddesses of the Heortling Storm Realm? is the patriarchy of the Storm so complete that they have no place for powerful sisters, bar the 'no-wind' and a Vinga who - despite her perchant for knocking gods skulls together - apparently falls to pieces when she gets pregnant, and who followers are pressured into 'masculine', lesbian relationships and sex roles.) What's going on here?

Greg has occasionally mentioned a ying/yang model of gender, with eternal 'male' and 'female' essences (whatever they are) existing in some sort of polarity and harmony. I'm not sure if this is a personal model or a supposed Gloranthan truth, but if the latter, there is little or not insight into this in the actual myths.

Finally, and this is a personal opinion, the portrayal of the Dark Earth goddesses in Glorantha has always been very much from a male perspective, full of fear and sexual anxiety. Some myths to correct this might finally help us achieve a collective balance.

YGWV Cheers :)

John

At 06:34 AM 6/07/2007, you wrote:
>YGWV
>
>I'd like to solicit some opinions and options from you all.
>
>As you may know, I'm working on a complete mythology of the Heortlings.
>Getting all the materials into one place, and also filling in some gaps.
>
>Well, one gap is in the Ernalda section.
>So I'd like to get your suggestions, ideas and so on for the roles that
>Ernalda plays. We know the "standard" one already, but elaborations upon
>that, and expansions, are welcome.
>
>No promises, just asking.
>
>--
>Sincerely,
>Greg Stafford