Re: "Don't mention the gyrda!" from donald_at_rni8QtrWDmFEcUkKlUNlQ2oEsTF_xD5FA2JQ8hFDnri1umoNTKdmB-hn4zo2BZFZeUB2I on 2008-07-22 (World of Glorantha)

From: donald_at_rni8QtrWDmFEcUkKlUNlQ2oEsTF_xD5FA2JQ8hFDnri1umoNTKdmB-hn4zo2BZFZeUB2I
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:36:33 GMT

In message <200807220110.m6M19tp1009558_at_2RGt1yQRvjVok6-EVjpt2T0gE9mkSbPFg1G4G63kGFviK4kHbsmHm2Nw7FsQjbtsHgVCWmOLTmEUC9zlkkImOiRuF0uK3cMVCkX5IBzC-bnLftH5ag.yahoo.invalid> John Hughes writes:
>Gedday Comrades
>
>I am typing very slowly so as not to confuse people.
>
>"Don't mention the gyrda!" is of course the latest variant on a
>time-honoured Gloranthan adage, "Don't mention the women".
>
>'Gyrda' is a term used several times in Thunder Rebels, and not just
>by me. It's in the glossary. However, it is obviously outre and
>totally beyond the conception of most beginning roleplayers, along
>with other such difficult terms as 'cottar', 'godar' 'jarl' and 'dice'.

[snip]

>That one of the few terms for women of power is the one to get picked
>for Jeff's ideological purity drive makes me, not for the first time,
>wonder.

To be consistent godar should also be dropped. God-talker, with the feminine goddess-talker, are accurate and easier to understand. No ideological element here just improving communication.

The terms 'cottar', 'carl' and 'thane' are different because they have a specific meaning with no equivelent in modern English.

There is a element of male bias in some Gloranthan writing but I don't see it as deliberate and often it is due to the English language. The English default is far too often male and that gets carried over to writings about a world where that's not true. Which is why I use priestess as the default for Lunars. For Heortlings where sex is significant for role it's priests of Orlanth and priestesses of Ernalda.

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