Praxian Marriage

From: Andrew Young (ayoung@pacifier.com)
Date: Mon 09 Dec 1996 - 19:36:29 EET


Greetings,

I'm just starting up my first RQ/Glorantha game, and it takes place within
a bison-nomad clan. I currently have several questions that I hope you
learned Gloranthaphiles can help me out with; I'm only hitting one of them
right now.

The reading I have done (primarily Glorantha:CotHW, GoG and RoC) have
made a several things about the Praxian nomads quite clear:

1: At age 10, boys are taken away from the women and spend their time
with their dads, returning to full tribe interactions after their 18th
birthday (and corresponding manhood ceremony).

2: At puberty, girls participate in a ceremony that indicates their
passing into girl-women status, where they stay until they bear their
first child. Upon bearing their first child they become women and are
able to own herdbeast.

Item #2 above strikes me as having some definite impacts on courtship,
marriage and childbirth. Since females can't own herdbeast until they
bear their first child, marriage wouldn't happen until *after* a
healthy child is born to a couple. I imagine that there is some kind
of "engagement" ritual, so that all in the tribe know who is mating
with who, to prevent paternity problems.

Okay with that said (comments?), I lead into my question: Who provides
the (or does anyone?) dowry to start the couple's new herd? I imagine

someone must, as I get the impression that intra-tribal raiding is
uncommon. Perhaps the husband must first successfully raid another
tribe's herd to prove his worth to the wife's family, who then provide
a dowry? Perhaps upon birth of the first child and subsequent marriage,
gifts are given? Any insights?

Thanks,

Andy

| Andy Young "A good thing not to be is a plant because someone |
| ayoung@pacifier.com might think you are a weed and pull you up by the |
| Vancouver, WA USA roots" - Ruth Krauss, _Open House for Butterflies_ |

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