From: John Patrick Hughes (nysalor@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue 13 Apr 1999 - 17:37:58 EEST
Heys Folks,
Matters Various...
CLAN-DESTINE FICTIONS
Clans.
Again.
Definitions.
Please *NO*.
I'm not getting into the definitions thingey. No way. Life is just too
short for kinship debates or new versions of the Kyger Litor cult. But
there is *one* point I'd like to make, dramatised somewhat to make it as
clear as possible.
Clans, bloodlines, and other forms of "tribal" social organisations are
NEVER based on biological relationships. *Never.* (and that's a Solar
'never').
Kinship is an ideology, a cultural system for organising the way the
universe is divided up. If it occasionally mimics biological relationships
that's cool, but like an amateur skald hitting the right note (or an Uroxi
hitting the right target), it's almost certainly accidental.
In kinship systems, the real action is always in where the rules are being
bended, broken, re-invented or conveniently forgotten, which happens about
30% of the time. (Orlanthi Trueism #381: "All tribal relationships follow
the laws of kin".)
Kinship systems are systems of social control, and the people who 'know'
the rules -
1) use these rules as a form of social, economic and ritual power, and
2) make a lot of it up as they go along.
Not us True Orlanthi of course. The other lot. Lunars, Praxians, that
hairy bunch on the other side of the hill. (You'd expect that.. Did you
know their clan founder married a cross-cousin? The shame! ...)
Also, if you've ever spoken to anyone who lives in an eight-section clan
system, you'll know that kinship is also a mind game, a mathematical
system of stunning permutations and boundless elegance existing only for
its own disappear-up-fundament self-absorbtion. Its more fun than choral
farting, and eight times as addictive. Also, like most mathematical
systems, completely bloody useless for chatting people up at parties.
(Parallels to rpgs should be becoming very noticeable at this point).
Despite this, in most parts of the world, talking kinship is the
equivalent of talking about the weather.
Go figure.
For true believers, masochists, aspiring skalds and lawspeakers, I can
only point you to
http://www.umanitoba.ca/anthropology/tutor/index.html
and say that an Orlanthi should always learn from his or her mistakes.
SPECIES-CHANGE STARBROW VICE HORROR SHOCK PIX
Greydog Nick:
>>Starbrow isn't a Duck. So let's move forwards.
WWWWWAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!
You've got to be joking...
Twagic.
Twagic.
Twagic.
Cheers
John
===
john.hughes2@dva.gov.au nysalor@yahoo.com
"Out of the south she came, as mysterious and violent as the blessing winds of Sea Season, and just as beautiful. Out of the south, through gors deep and gallt wide, 'cross ice-shielded streams and shadow-dark valleys. Out of the south, till at last she came to the stead called Lagerwater, home to the Bluefoot Tovtaros, the true Orlanthi folk at the very centre of the world.."
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