From: Peter Metcalfe (metcalph@bigfoot.com)
Date: Fri 03 Dec 1999 - 09:13:31 EET
Andrew Larsen:
>>What's wrong with the savage imagery
>>of her leaping up fully armed from her mother's corpse and
>smiting everybody in sight?
>My approach is that BG renounced the traditional feminine things
>when she renounced fertility.
Traditional feminine things is not staying at home doing
the housework. Babeester Gor is still a women for all
her wanton butchery.
>The breaking of the distaff is a symbol of that.
If the breaking of the distaff into a spear was the point
>Since Voria is the goddess of young girls, it's logical that her
From their mothers, not from the Vorian Temple. Voria has
>I also wanted to contrast her to Voria as much as possible. Where
Voria does not "stay home and is peaceful". She is born in Hell
>I was unaware of this facet of Esrolian culture. Is it documented
It's a fact that only women join Babeester Gor. Esrolia is
>>This seems rather extravagant given that initiates of both Maran Gor
> IMG, the 6 earth cults have a certain overlap. Initiating into
The initiation of a woman into Babeester Gor is different than
>For Maran Gor, I admit that I have less justification. Since the 6
If true, should women expect to join Babeester Gor and Maran Gor
>The dark earth cults renounce fertility, which ought to involve a
Since Maran Gor acolytes can be fertile, it seems strong to suggest
of her transformation, her favourite weapon would be a
spear and not an axe.
>cult trains young girls in the skills they will use as women, namely
>sewing, etc. Where else do young Orlanthi girls learn these skills if not
>from the main cult devoted to them.
nothing to do with household skills.
>Voria stays home and is peaceful, BG leaves home and is a warrior.
and dances the rights of spring with High King Elf. She is
closer to the pagan Easter Goddess than the Goddess of Needlework
and Embroidery.
>somewhere that the cult has no male worshippers in Esrolia?
not likely to be an exception to this because they are more
feverent believers in the divide in sex-related tasks than
most Orlanthi are.
>>and Ernalda are not automatically initiates of Babeester Gor. What
>>about Voria, Asrelia or Ty Kora Tek?
>Ernalda is the adulthood rite for girls, so initiates of BG are in most
>cases already initiates of Ernalda.
the general adulthood initiation of a women into Ernalda. In
any case there's no need to state this since it would be implied
by her communal background (ie being an Esrolian or Orlanthi
women) rather than being an initate of Babeester Gor.
>cults overlap, the crucial initiation points should correspond to
>biological changes.
in their lifetime? I don't think so hence I feel it is a bit
much to impose such identifications on the respective cult.
>cessation of menstration. Since BG doesn't menstrate, I couldn't
>think of an obvious point where a BG might transit into Maran Gor.
Babeester Gor initiates have renounced fertility.
- --Peter Metcalfe
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