Daughter of Orlanth, Vinga is the Orlanthi goddess of female warriors and adventurers, women who reject the traditional female roles while still accepting Orlanthi culture.
There are those who will tell you that the cult of Vinga is just a "women's only" version of Orlanth Adventurous, but to believe so is to deny the full depth and breadth of both cults, as well as the full mythic importance of each.
Vingin cultists are known to dye their hair red in imitation of their goddess. They train in the use of the sword, but have a reputation for relying more on quick wit than on weaponry.
Vinga is most often portrayed as an armored maiden with no helmet, her long red hair unbound, a sword belted at her side.
Cult write-up by Jane Williams
Cult write-ups of the many aspects of Vinga
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VINGA'S WOAD AND ORLANTH'S
When Vinga became a woman, she rejected the boring life of a steadwife and decided to join her father's household. Ernalda saw that Vinga had made up her mind, so she gave her a hide shield and the bronze javelin that Orlanth had given her. Her sisters cried and told her not to go, but Vinga cut her hair and dyed it red, then put on a warrior's clothes. Only Enferalda supported her sister by giving her an amulet to give her strength when she needed it.
Vinga knew that she must prove her worthiness to join the Thunder Brothers. She had been many places and spoken to many people, and she knew that a giant named Bansh Bone-biter had recently moved to Bear Mountain. The Thunder Brothers had not yet decided to attack him, so Vinga decided to kill him before they could, and thus prove that she was the equal of any of them.
When Bansh heard Vinga, he rushed out to meet her. She challenged him, and he accepted by inviting her to dinner. "Your lovely limbs will be fine broiling over my fire."
"That is not to be," said Vinga, and she threw a javelin at Bansh. It bounced off of his bronze breastplate, so she aimed the next one at his head, but he held up his arm and it bounced off his vambraces. Then Bansh took up a bow he had made from the sinews and leg bones of his victims. He shot an arrow tipped with a tooth at Vinga, but she dodged it. Then Bansh shot two arrows at once, so Vinga dodged one and struck the other aside with her shield. She rushed forward, then drew her sword and in the very same motion cut off Bansh's head.
Vinga set out for the Thunder Barracks. She presented herself to her father, who was training with his brothers. "My lord, I wish to join your household and serve faithfully among your companions."
Orlanth looked at his daughter in a new way, for she had never before carried a shield. He also saw the looks of anger and disdain on the faces of his sons, and he thought that perhaps Vinga could teach them a much-needed lesson of respect for women. "My daughter, many wish to join, but only those who are qualified may do so. What talent can you add to my household?"
Vinga took out the head and said, "I have slain giants."
Hedkoranth laughed and shouted, "That's Bansh Bone-biter. Hey, Starkval, didn't you swear that you would kill him?"
Although some of the Thunder Brothers seemed impressed with Vinga's deed, Starkval merely pointed to a post nearby that held a giant head with four eyes. He said, "I killed Kankstank Neversleep, who rests only half his eyes at once. He killed many people and ate their souls. Bansh Bone-biter swore loyalty to him." The praise for Starkval was much louder. Orlanth said, "Starkval slays giants." "I can do many things," Vinga replied. "Test me at anything." So the Thunder Brothers held a series of contests. All of them participated in each one, and crowds of people came to watch the great free-for-all.
Hedkoranth proposed the first contest, and all the Thunder Brothers took up their slings. They whirled the stones above their heads, and the howling was so loud that the onlookers covered their ears. Orlanth shouted above the noise, and all of the Thunder Brothers released their casts. Vinga's stone went as far as Hedkoranth's, but his returned to his hand while hers did not, and so she lost.
Drogarsi proposed that they all dance. They danced the Papou, the Sword Dance, and the Thrush Walk, and Vinga danced more gracefully than any of the men. Then Drogarsi called to the musicians to play their fastest tunes, and each of the Thunder Brothers stumbled or quit. Vinga had the gift from her sister to aid her, however, and finally only she and Drogarsi remained. She missed a step, however, and as the musicians sat gasping for breath Orlanth pronounced Drogarsi the winner.
Vanganth said that they should all fly, so each called his wind, ram, or breath to bear him aloft. Vinga called her own wind, which most of her brothers did not even know existed, and she flew as high and as fast as Vanganth. When they landed, however, Orlanth judged Vanganth the winner, for he had flown on his own, without needing something to carry him.
And so each Thunder Brother proposed a contest. In the end, Vinga had not won a single one, and most of the Thunder Brothers teased and taunted her for her failure. She simply said, "You lost most of them, too," and presented herself again to her father. She asked, "My lord, have you any one companion who slays giants, slings, dances, flies, and does everything better than all but one of your sons?"
Orlanth smiled at his daughter. "You know I do not. You have done well, because every man you contested with is the best in all the world in his specialty. You have proved yourself worthy to join my companions." When he said this, most of the Thunder Brothers exclaimed in surprise.
Only Finovan, the shrewdest of Orlanth's sons, dared to speak. "My Father, all of your companions can do something better than everyone. Hedkoranth is the best slinger, Drogarsi the best dancer, Vanganth the best flyer, and none can best me at the cattle raid. My sister is second best at many things, but second best is not good enough in battle. She must prove herself not just to you, but to us as well. If she cannot best all of us at something then she will never be one of us, even should you command us to take her in."
Vinga looked at her brothers and saw that Finovan's words were true: unless she could best every one of them at a single skill, they would never respect her. She responded to all of them, not just Finovan. "Each of you has proposed a contest, but I have not. Let each of you take up a javelin and we will see who is the better man."
On the field, Vinga let her brothers throw first. Each did great deeds, such as when Barntar threw his so hard that it stuck all the way into the ground, or when Ormalaya threw three javelins into a target so that each split the previous one. When they had all finished, Vinga stepped forward. She turned three circles and let her javelin fly with a piercing shriek, and all of her brothers watched in admiration as it flew a full mile and shattered the marking stone at the border of the next field.
A great shout erupted from the crowd gathered nearby, and all of the Thunder Brothers echoed it. Finovan smiled cleverly at Vinga, and the Thunder Brothers carried her into the Thunder Barracks on their shields so that they could toast their newest member with Minlister's best brew. Link