Re: Praxian White Bull brotherhood

From: Doyle Tavener <JavaApp_at_3LQuKYOb554b9SJ7U-EGi5BMQNinmgIe5cPbGc3xm2IF-Afn-ScjoMCNJ3gJ_GCkynt4>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 23:22:14 -0000

• In WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com, "felixtimestwo" wrote: >
  > Does anyone have any information on the White Bull spirit
  > cult/brotherhood of the Praxian beast riders? All I have is references
  > to it, and Argrath's later adventures with them, but no history or
  > myths for them.
  

I speculated, in a short story that I wrote, that they held the HeroQuest ritual to obtain a magical bull whose presence in the herd increased the fertility and hardiness of the herd beasts of the tribe (or clan) that had obtained the bull.

Of course, in the same short story I speculated that Biturian Varosh was Argrath White Bull, so take it with a grain of salt. :)

You might want to think about the ways that magical bulls could be obtained, given the mythic landscape of the Wastelands. Two possible solutions that come to mind include a cattle-raid (in the God-time) of a herd belonging to the 'giants' that the Animal Nomands talk about a lot, or the acquisition through tests of the Bull from an ally.

I don't think the forces of the Devil would keep herds in the God-time, but given the Wastelander obsession with Chaos, if there was a possible way to tell that story, the Animal Nomads would figure one out.

If 'Argrath' means Liberator in Sartarite, then the full title is "Liberator of the White Bull", which implies the cattle raid motif, IMNSHO. Of course, the White Bull could be a solely spiritual entity, and not  physical at all. This would make the brotherhood fall in line with other Animal Nomad shamanic cults.

Doyle

Note that this is all speculative and non-canonical.