[Glorantha] Glorantha and historical inspiration

In message <Pine.GSO.4.58.0606211629110.15907@paju.oulu.fi> Mikko Rintasaari writes:

>I've also seen very conflicting views on the whole "horses getting bigger"
>arguments. Doesn't seem to be a universally accepted thing. Anyway, the
>only big horses I think about for Glorantha are those that are used by the
>cataphracts in the West (and Carmania).

Surely it depends on which modern horses are being discussed. Modern draft horses were bred over the 17th to 20th Centuries for size and strength. Even the knight's horses of the late middle ages wouldn't be that big and Charlemagne's horses would be smaller still. More typical modern breeds vary a lot in size.

In Glorantha I'm sure most of the horses are at the smaller end of modern breeds but there are heroic horses for heros.

>:When it comes to Gloranthan ships, we take 16th century Mediterranean as
>:our watermark...
>
>No way. I can't imagine why one would want to do that, when the bronze /
>early iron age offers such a wealth of sea traditions to draw on.
>Foenecian, persian and greek navies for instance, and even the reed ships
>of ancient egypt. Much more interesting than yet another high medieval /
>early reneisance setting.

"Men of the Sea" gives sample ships using medieval analogues but also mentions junks and dhows for Kraloria. Given the closing will have isolated maritime practices I see no reason for not having pretty much any medieval or earlier ship type somewhere. Then there are the Waertagi dragon ships and Mostali floating castles.

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