Re: Holy numbers (and bad ones)

From: bryan_thx <bethexton_at_t-T_OYVs2xs5yYmaW0OF4SoQNPdUpK2m0SQQDIVIcRIyRWN_8ppMmX1TuotLd2KIVy>
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:33:05 -0000

>
> Hi list,
>
> Has anyone given the question of holy numbers any thought? I'm
> specifically interested in what holy numbers Heortlings would revere (if
> any). For example: A Helering uses her watermagic to purify water in a
> bowl so that she may use that water to rinse a chaos infected arm. How
> many times would she pour water on the arm?
>

I wouldn't think that in Heortling culture it would be the number per se, but some mythic connection which happened to lead to some number. To use a RW parellel, in medieval Europe I don't think three was considered especially holy as a number for its own sake, but certain things may have been done 'for the Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost.'

I could imagine an Ernaldan ritual doing certain things 'For the Daughter, The Mother, and The Crone' and there are of course all sorts of sevens that could be used.

But Heler does tend to be a bit odd, being part of the Heortling gods but having a very different origin, and having that flexible, changing, nature. I would think that perhaps a Helering would call on whatever water powers seemed appropriate at the time, invoking one with each pour....so one for the rain that is falling, one for the nearby creak, one for the pond over the hill, one for the mighty river a bit farther away, maybe one for the clouds over head and even one for the dew that was on the grass in the morning. But at a different time and place, might call differently?