Would the approximation of the Japanese caste system used in Land of the Ninja (and the distinction between Heimin and Samurai it uses) be an even better analogy for Malkionism than the Hindu notion of Varna?
Does Malkionism have levels within the farmer caste between merchants, artisans and farmers? If so, does it (broadly follow a hierarchy like the Japanese (farmers are most worthy because they work the land and are closest to nature, and merchants the least spiritually worthy because they don't make anything apart from money) or is it more like the Hindu one? (Where merchants and traders outrank farmers)
Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think Hindusim (usually) has the same hierarchy of priests and senior priests who manage other priests that Malkioni churches do. Any such hierarchy must create a degree of tension as to whether priests who manage other priests are still "people who pray" or "people who rule". How is that tension resolved?
Does Malkionism have a concept of "untouchables" (Are pagans "untouchable" in some Malkioni sects?)
I had a bit of a go at developing some of these ideas in a campaign setting, in the Valeki Baronies near Ramalia, Handra and the New Fens at the far western end of Wenelia (and drawing heavily on the issues of Tradetalk which looked at these places-- not exactly canonical but I liked them). Though most of my (limited) sources on Malkionism at that time (principally Tradetalk and Tales of the Reaching Moon) dated from the mid-late 1990s.
In those places most "peasants" were Mraloti Hsunchen (or ex-Hsunchen). They did not belong to the same church as the 'true' Malkioni. The caste system (and particularly the Wizard caste) had deviated from traditional models in order to accommodate this.
Though the Valeki approach was very different from the Ramalian one.
Richard Hayes
From: Jeff <richaje_at_8HuOiEtq5-s02meLXVwYKdZLhUo4bM51G55sQbNlgXiNc4PGFjvQeV8IjHmuLnYIHnnPvLPdDrz2t60.yahoo.invalid>
Subject: Re: The Importance of Caste (or Why Wizards Don't Rule)
To: WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, 9 February, 2011, 6:15
> To draw real world analogies, albeit from a vastly different culture, there
> is a reason in the Four Varnas (Castes) of Hinduism, that the Brahmins, who
> are have religious/magical authority, are not the Kshatriyas, who are the
> warriors who rule the land.
I'm glad Santo brought this up: the Four Varnas are a better analogy for understanding Malkioni society than looking to medieval Europe. The biggest difference is the that Kshatriyas combine war and rule, and the Talors and Horals divide them.
> By necessity, ruling over lands, worrying about the material world,
> alliances, armies and war, distract one from becoming pure and spiritually
> educated. There are some cases were kshatriyas have rebelled against this,
> and wanted both spiritual ascendancy *and* material power, but it usually
> ends badly.. or you end up like the great sage Vishwamitra, who was born in
> one caste (warrior) and became acknowledged as a brahmin through epic
> penance.
Or Hrestol....
Jeff
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