From: owner-glorantha@hops.wharton.upenn.edu
Date: Wed 17 Jan 1996 - 20:20:03 EET
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In V2 #329, Loren writes:
>I was looking forward to this. What happened?
I forgot to save it as an ASCII file, so AOL wouldn't send it. I'll try
again:
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OMENS AND ORACLES
Copyright 1992 Martin R. Crim
=0D
People of every land believe in omens. People know that omens or si=
gns speak to them
through symbols, or even with words. When there are no signs to read, pe=
ople make their own by
consulting oracles: people or things that reveal hidden truth. Oracles a=
nd signs tell about the past,
present, and future. A generic term for a person who reads signs and use=
s oracles is "diviner," but
there are many terms for different specialties.
=0D
The Doctrine of Signs
Omens and oracles are a part of a wide branch of magic called the do=
ctrine of signs. =
Another term for the same idea is the principle of sympathy. Sympathy me=
ans that things have
magical connections based on their traits. Mandrake and ginseng roots lo=
ok like people--thus,
they have power over people. A man's hat bears part of his magic, so a d=
iviner can make it tell
where the man is now. =
Great events in the heavens warn of tumult on the earth. The most f=
amous heavenly sign
in Gloranthan history was the Sunstop, which presaged the birth of Nysalo=
r, among other events. =
Small signs speak of small events, and are more likely than large signs t=
o speak just to the diviner.
=0D
Can We Know the Future?
In Glorantha, true prophecy is rare. No one knows the future--or so=
they say. Recent
Gloranthan works show that prophecy exists, and that some of it is true.
Most omens and oracles show the past or present. If they show the f=
uture, it is by hints of
hidden things going on in the present. Thus, most omens and oracles fit =
into the Great Com-
promise and obey the law of Time. If a diviner says that an omen or orac=
le shows the future, the
diviner is probably wrong or lying. =
=0D
Oracles under Your Nose
Glorantha has many omens and oracles, some so familiar that we forge=
t their nature. =
Detection spells are minor oracles. They are spells that lead the spell-=
caster to the nearest thing of
the type divined for. Any spell of that type is a form of dowsing. Divi=
nation is also an oracle,
and many of Lhankor Mhy's divine spells are oracles.
=0D
Who Does What
Most Theists use the Divination spell, but the ritual varies from cu=
lt to cult. One cult
might use a sacred pig that picks runes or letters carved on magic sticks=
=2E Another might have a
priestess inhale bay leaf smoke and listen to the wind howling through a =
cleft in the rock. The
methods below are just major classes.
The major elemental cults use their elements when they divine. Maga=
sta priests read the
patterns in a bowl of swirling water. Ernalda priestesses cast sacred st=
ones and read the patterns
they make on the bare earth. Yelm priests read their sacred fires. Orla=
nthi watch the winds,
clouds, and lightning. Of the other elemental cults, some use the elemen=
t and some do not.
Some cults lack the Divination spell, but they still do divination. =
Ancestor worshipers talk
to the oldest ancestors they dare to summon. City god priests talk to th=
eir cult founders, or the
founder's chief spirit servants. Initiates of the Red Goddess use the Di=
vination spell from one of
her associated deities. Subere cultists summon spirits and demons, and t=
rade for or take
information. Rumors abound as to Uleria divination, and most of the rumo=
rs are lewd. Waha
priests read the way that a herd animal's blood splashes on the ground, o=
r talk to spirits.
Theists know that all divination comes from the gods, through cult s=
pirits. The gods do
not know everything, so the limit of divination is the gods' knowledge. =
The Divination spell is
accurate and fairly easy to interpret, but its limit is the knowledge of =
the particular god the priest
worships. Other oracles and omens show what other gods and their major s=
pirits know, but with
less clarity. It is foolish to rely on spirits who have no link with the=
divine, for they know nothing
of the roots of what goes on in the world. It is equally foolish to rely=
on signs in the natural world
alone, as the humanists do.
The Malkioni lack the Divination spell, and claim no direct communic=
ation with their
God. However, many of them do practice divination. One popular and wide=
spread method is to
open the Book of Malkion at random. =
Many Henotheists practice haruspicy (see 2., below). Orthodox Hrest=
oli and Rokari see
this as a rank heresy and paganism, and condemn it. It is one of the cau=
ses of strife between the
Arkati and other Malkioni.
Some Rokari condemn even the drawing of lots and casting of dice. T=
hey see those
practices as violations of Malkion's fourth law, specifically the admonit=
ion to be loyal to God. To
call on a spirit or a false god is to betray one's faith in the Invisible=
God. =
All Malkioni invoke saints' blessings at ordeals (see 10, below) and=
when reading omens. =
Rokari and Hrestoli draw a distinction between this and base, pagan oracl=
es.
The Malkioni know that true oracles reveal the secrets of the natura=
l world to the person
with insight. Spirits are malicious, and lead the pagan astray. Good Ma=
lkioni rely on their inner
powers and the power of saints to see the patterns written by the Creator=
's hand.
Like the Malkioni, most primitive cultures lack the Divination spell=
=2E They do not have
astrology or any art that uses writing or numbers. Primitives rely on sp=
irits, like the Theists. =
They know that the gods see only a part of the truth, however, and that t=
he gods slant their
oracles for their own incomprehensible ends. Primitives also know that i=
t is pointless to try to
divine using only the visible world, because the spirits are behind much =
that happens here. It is
better to ask the spirits.
=0D
Methods of Divination
To divine, the diviner has to focus his or her mind. Some ways of d=
ivination clear the
mind, and others cloud it. Either way, the state of mind changes. Befor=
e going into this state, the
diviner asks the question to be answered. It may be the diviner's own, o=
r some one else's. After
the return, the diviner has changed. He or she has brought back somethin=
g of use to the
community. Consulting an oracle is a short and minor version of the hero=
ic cycle.
Active divination holds many dangers. It draws the attention of spi=
rits and gods. Enemy
spirits want to cause trouble for the diviner, by leading the diviner ast=
ray, or harassing him or her. =
Amateurs should not try to use divination.
In every way of divination, the diviner has to decode the answer. S=
igns and symbols are
ambiguous and general. Interpretation is a matter best left to the playe=
rs, gently guided by the
GM. =
The [Cult] Lore skill tells how much the character knows about how t=
o interpret symbols. =
(If your campaign does not use the [Cult] Lore skill, use Ceremony instea=
d.) A successful roll
reveals the omen or oracle's meaning. A failed roll means that the perso=
n does not understand the
omen. The degree of success or failure shows how well or deeply the pers=
on grasps the sign's
sense.
=
1. Omens occur every day, if one knows how to look for them. Some o=
mens cry out for
interpretation, such as marvels in the sky or the birth of a two-headed s=
heep. More common
omens are the flight of birds, the tracks of animals, and the growth patt=
erns of plants. This is a
way of divination where the diviner does not have to seek out spirits, so=
it is the only way that is
not dangerous. The Malkioni have raised it to a high art.
Most omens have only vague meanings, but some are very specific. Us=
ually they mean
only good or bad luck.
Everyone in Glorantha reads the obvious omens. If they do not know =
what a sign means,
or if people differ on what it means, they ask a priest or shaman to inte=
rpret it.
=0D
2. Hidden signs reveal themselves to diviners who do the correct rit=
uals. This differs from
# 1 only in that someone is actively looking for the sign. The divine sp=
ell Divination is one way to
do this.
Some diviners examine the viscera of beasts, a practice known as har=
uspicy or extispicy. =
(A diviner who uses this method is a haruspex or extispex, pl. haruspices=
/ extispices.) This
method is popular among trolls, who also divine from the way the dying an=
imal thrashes. Tusk
riders also use "thrashing divination," and bet on how long the animal (o=
r person) will live.
Some diviners find signs hidden on or around the object of the divin=
ation. If the object is
a person, the diviner looks at the palm, bumps on the skull, or some othe=
r variable part of the
body. If the object is a thing, the diviner looks at it for magical clue=
s that answer the question
posed. With the Lhankor Mhy oracle Analyze Magic, the caster handles the=
item and examines it
closely in a trance-like state. =
The ancient Chinese threw turtle shells into fires and pulled them o=
ut after they cracked. =
Diviners then read the pictographs they saw in the cracks in the shell. =
Kralorelans do the same.
Diviners can read omens in anything with a pattern: fire, wood, clot=
h, water, clouds. =
Crystal-gazing is a special case: see below, at 9.
=0D
3. Books. The diviner uses a random number to pick a passage to rea=
d, or opens the book
at random. Symbols and poetic words yield an answer that is more or less=
vague and more or less
impelling. Historical examples of books used for divination this way inc=
lude the Bible, Virgil's
Aeneid, and in China the I Ching (pronounced yee jing; in English, The Bo=
ok of Changes). =
The I Ching makes a fair divination tool in a fantasy RPG. It suits=
RPGs that focus on
role playing and political intrigue. It is not useful if you only want t=
o know which door to open. =
One uses it by throwing yarrow stalks and taking away set numbers from a =
bunch until a usable
number of them are left. In this way, the diviner gets a hexagram, a set=
of six solid or broken
lines. The book gives a commentary on the hexagram.
=0D
4. Drawing the rune stones or cards. There are several versions of =
this. They differ from
reading the signs by giving specific meanings to individual elements. Un=
less a chicken is diseased,
its guts look much like any other chicken's. With Rune Cards, however, t=
here are over 1 trillion
possible 7 card layouts.
Players and GMs may also wish to get Ralph Blum's The Book of Runes,=
which is available
in catalogs and New Age stores. It comes with a set of baked clay stones=
in a cloth bag, which
makes a good prop. The interpretation is very much New Age, with a lot o=
f "personal growth"
jargon, but the stones are fun to use. The book provides meanings for ea=
ch rune and explains
how to read them in groups. The readings sound specific enough to mean s=
omething, but they
give the user enough alternatives that the diviner can read much into eac=
h reading. =
Some of the norse runes refer to specific norse deities or parallel =
Gloranthan rune names. =
It is an easy matter to translate these into Gloranthan deities. The div=
iner's cult would influence
the significance he or she would assign to the particular gods, of course=
=2E =
Ansuz =3D Loki =3D Eurmal =
Inguz =3D Ing =3D founder =
Teiwaz =3D Tyr =3D Humakt =
Berkana =3D fertility =3D Ernalda =
Ehwaz =3D movement =3D Mastakos =
Laguz =3D sea =3D Magasta =
Isa =3D ice =3D Valind =
Sowelu =3D sun =3D Yelm. =
Other runes have meanings that take on specific significance in Glorantha=
: =
Mannaz =3D man =3D Daka Fal =
Uruz =3D strength =
Perth =3D initiation =
Eihwaz =3D defense/bow/rune magic
Algiz =3D protection =
Hagalaz =3D disruption.
=0D
5. Trance and Possession. Every normal person can go into a trance,=
but some can do it
more easily than others. Some shamans go into trances without trying to.=
Most people need
some kind of effort to enter a trance, though. Trance can come through m=
editation, singing,
dancing, magical food or drink, or just looking at hypnotic sounds and si=
ghts. Don't try this at
home, or anywhere else for that matter--it alarms the fundamentalists, an=
d your parents won't let
you play RPGs any more. In fact, don't show them this article.
A spirit can easily possess a person in a trance. (Shamans are an e=
xception, because they
know how to resist possession even when in a trance.) Possession is, in =
fact, one reason to enter
a trance. A spirit can talk freely with a group when it is inside a livi=
ng body. Elves and trolls both
use this method, as do human ancestor worshipers and Hykimi. Some spirit=
s can even force
someone in a trance to speak, without possessing him. =
Some diviners speak in tongues--that is, in languages they do not kn=
ow. Others speak in
chillingly altered voices. This means that the spirit is talking through=
them. Spirit talk is an
oracle. The spirit tells what it knows, and it may know a great deal. S=
ome spirits lie, so one must
know who the spirit really is. =
In a trance, a diviner can also use one of the other forms of divina=
tion listed here. In their
rest periods (a trance state), green elves have dreams in which they read=
the patterns of fallen
leaves (see 8., below, and 1., above).
=0D
6. Astrology. Watching the stars is a passive and fairly safe form =
of divination. =
Remember, though, that the stars are gods, spirits, or saints, and they c=
an take an interest in those
who direct their souls toward them. =
Terran astrology is well known to most people. It does not fit Glor=
Each civilized land has a different star lore. Kralorela is the mos=
antha, though, because
most of the stars and all of the constellations are different. Still, th=
e same rules apply. Gloranthan
astrologers note the stars visible at the birth of important persons. Th=
ey track the planets' move-
ment to find out heaven's will. Stars and planets have specific meanings=
, often associated with
runes. There are no "birth signs" as such.
Many peoples in Glorantha see signs in the sky, but astrology is mor=
e than casual sky
watching. To have astrology, one needs to have records of past events an=
d sophisticated theories
to explain them. =
t advanced, because its
records stretch back to the first Rising of Yelm in the Golden Age. The =
oldest records are on
stone cliffs and walls, and priests copy them by taking rubbings. The Kr=
alorelans get their calen-
dar from their astrology. They also have ten-year and twelve-year cycles=
, which begin together
every sixty years. The years of the ten-year cycle are named for the met=
als (gold, silver, copper,
bronze, brass, aluminum, tin, quicksilver, iron, and lead). The years of=
the twelve-year cycle are
named for animals (dragon, phoenix, roc, eagle, bat, tiger, yak, rat, dee=
r, whale, turtle, and
snake).
Western astrology comes from the Brithini, but the theistic Malkioni=
sects changed the
system to stress the role of the saints' stars. The time basis is the ro=
tation of Lorion through the
constellations.
=0D
7. Numerology and Related Arts. Many lands have folk beliefs about =
lucky and unlucky
numbers, and some even have systems of dogma. There are lucky and unluck=
y numbers, but the
numbers differ from nation to nation. Diviners use numerology by rolling=
dice, using counting
games, or seeing clusters. One use of counting games (like "eenie, meeni=
e") is to pick a sacrifice. =
Most methods are passive and safe (for the diviner, not the sacrifice).
For Yelmists, ten is lucky. Two is lucky, because Yelm is the secon=
True cabalism exists in Glorantha among the Galvosti of Ralios. The=
y seek inner
knowledge of the Book of Malkion by mathematical analysis. Each letter h=
as a number value, as
does each word, phrase, chapter, and verse.
Numerology comes to the aid of astrology in picking lucky dates. Da=
tes have lucky or
unlucky numbers, counted from the beginning of the week, season, or year.=
d son of Aether. Five
is unlucky, because it is the number of Umatum and Oralanatus the usurper=
s.
Earth cultists know that four is lucky. It stands for the sides of =
the Earth rune. Three is
unlucky, because it stands for the broken Earth after Genert died.
For Orlanthi, five is lucky, because Orlanth is the fifth son of the=
fifth elemental god. =
Three is unlucky, because of the Unholy Trio. Seven is lucky: the number=
of the Lightbringers
and the number of the winds. =
Lunars also believe seven lucky, because of the Seven Mothers. They=
base their lucky and
unlucky dates on anniversaries under their calendar. Lucky dates mark tr=
iumphs and great deeds. =
Unlucky dates mark defeats or disasters.
Malkioni know that three is lucky. Three are the sides or points of=
the Law rune, and
three are the revelations of the Invisible God. Four is also lucky. Mal=
kion set out four laws. =
Combining those numbers, seven and twelve are also lucky. Ten is unlucky=
, because the Brithini
word for ten sounds like the word for death.
Kralorelans consider seven unlucky. However, our sources differ on =
the reason why. In
any case, the seventh week of each month is unlucky, and the seventh day =
of each week is
unlucky.
=0D
8. Dreams and Visions. Every person dreams, and many have waking vi=
sions. Glorantha
has as many ways to explain these events as Terra does. Civilized nation=
s have books to help one
figure out dreams, and all literate persons use them. Other nations rely=
on oral wisdom.
Among the nomads of Prax and parts of Pamaltela, an initiation dream=
reveals the
tribesman's spirit double. This is usually an animal, but can be a terra=
in feature, star, type of plant,
or even a weather feature. =
Powerful dreams reveal what course in life a person should take. Dr=
eams show the gods'
will to initiates. The Horned God often visits a child in a dream, and i=
f the child does not cry out,
he or she will become a shaman later.
Dreams also foretell danger to the dreamer, especially danger from g=
ods or spirits. Spirits
of reprisal visit wayward initiates in their dreams. =
Powerful visions often call a person to adventure. Vivid and comple=
x visions are rare. To
have one and be able to share it--that takes a great soul. Great leaders=
express their visions to
their followers, causing the group to act as one.
Ordinary people see visions all the time, particularly when they are=
starving, thirsty, or
tired. Monks and shamans fast deliberately, to see visions. Physical we=
akness opens up the doors
of perception. People see the spirits of ancestors, animals, and places.=
Some of these spirits are
friendly, others hostile, but most are neutral. Even with the friendly s=
pirits, the diviner needs a
strong will to avoid giving in to fear.
=0D
9. Crystal-Gazing. This term covers all forms of what we call self-=
hypnosis. In
Glorantha, some diviners stare into clear crystals or sacred gems. They =
see moving objects, and
read the movement in ways that make sense to them. Some diviners use a ge=
m to enter a trance,
and then use some other method of divination.
Sorcerers who have Sight Projection often learn the art, as it aids =
them in casting the
spell. =
Light cultists often use crystals.
=0D
10. Ordeals. These test a person, animal, or thing. They come in a=
variety of forms, but
usually involve pain or damage. Each culture has one or two traditional =
forms to use. These vary
widely from place to place. One example from southern Ralios is this: th=
row someone into a
pond. If he or she floats, you have found a witch (shaman). You may the=
n burn him or her. A
test for Rokari knights is this: grasp a red-hot hunk of iron in the righ=
t hand. If the knight cries
out, or the wound festers, the knight is guilty. Otherwise, he is innoce=
nt.
=0D
11. Automatic Writing and Automatic Movement. Automatic writing is =
close to trance in
many ways. However, the diviner often remains conscious, but not in cont=
rol of his or her writing
hand. The resulting words are often gibberish, but may show the truth in=
a poetic way.
Automatic movement is the way ouija boards work. In Glorantha, howe=
ver, it has not
reached that level of sophistication. A common technique is to dangle an=
idol or sacred book
from a string, and interpret the way it twists. This calls for creativit=
y.
In Kralorela, priests mount a healing idol on a sedan chair and atta=
ch a writing-brush to
one pole of the chair. Then the idol writes a charm for the sick person'=
s benefit. The charm also
explains how the person became sick, if anyone can read it.
=0D
12. Drawing Lots or Throwing Dice. These are common ways to divine =
truth in
Glorantha, as they were in ancient times in our world. Groups pick leade=
rs, new members, and
scapegoats this way. People split up joint property.
It is not anachronistic for PCs to use dice when dividing up loot. =
(Twenty sided dice are
anachronistic, but six sided dice are not.) What is wrong is to be flip=
pant or greedy when seeking
the divine will.
Drawing lots is useful when there are many people. In one form of t=
he rite, each person
takes a pebble out of a jar. One pebble is a different color from the ot=
hers. If the pebbles are all
identical to the touch, then it is a random way of choosing a person. =
=0D
[end]=
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End of Glorantha Digest V2 #340
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