From: Bernuetz, Oliver: WPG (Bernuetz.Oliver@cbsc.ic.gc.ca)
Date: Fri 28 Jan 2000 - 16:51:00 EET
Mikael Raaterova points out the confusing mess that is the Griffin Mountain
part of the Glorantha website.
>From the Griffin Mountain stuff at the Glorantha Site:
>>Balazar worshiped a deity named Tharkantus, all of whose worshipers
>>apparently died during the Dragonkill.
>and:
>>Since Balazar worshipped Yelmalio, his followers do also.
>So what did he worship? And what do modern-day Balazarites worship
>(apart from Balazar of course)?
As far as their gods go this is the list I use :
Votank: Sacred Ancestor, rulegiver, men's god.
Hearthmother: The Gatherer, women's goddess.
Foundchild: The Huntsman, god of hunting
Yemalio: The Light in the Hills, god of warriors and rulers
The Wild Mother, Goddess of the Land, provider of plants and
animals (proprietary worship only)*
Dog Brother: Friend and Helper to Foundchild
Rigtaina: The Huntress, Daughter of Foundchild and Mother of the
Three Tribes
Balazar: The Founder, sub-cult of Yemalio.
Mralota: Swine Mother
*This is an addition of mine. She's the nature goddess and mother
of Rigtaina. She gets short shrift in Glorantha mostly since she hates
senient life for the most part.
>Or should we suspect a typo or two?
More than two I'm afraid. I managed to print off a copy before they removed
the stuff that was going into Rick reprint and there were a lot of typos and
errors. You'll find the Balazarings worshipping different gods on different
parts of the site. Most notably leaving Votank off the list. This part of
the
website badly needs a good editor.
>Do modern Balazarites believe that Balazar has always been associated
>with Yelmalio or do they know of this mystery-figure Tharkantus? Is
>Tharkantus possibly a pre-Monrogh-revelation 'predecessor' or cognate
>to Yelmalio?
I would take this (like Nick suggested) as an attempt to re-write
history (and a sloppy one at that). (The swine goddess' name was also
changed from Mralota to Entra). Personally I say that Tharkantus is/was
the name used in Vanch for Yemalio so everyone in my campaign calls
him Yemalio anyway because it's just a translation of the local name.
There are several references to Tharkantus=Yemalio
In the religion section Balazar's god is listed as Yemalio (no Tharkantus
mentioned):
http://www.glorantha.com/library/griffin/GM-religions.html#yelmalio
In the Balazaring section
http://www.glorantha.com/library/griffin/GM-balazarings.html
there are several references equating Tharkantus=Yemalio.
E.G.One is always a Hearth Mother, and the others have Tharkantus
[Yelmalio] or Hunter orientation.
"The Balazarings worship several deities. Notable among them are:
Tharkantus, called Yelmalio by foreigners (the patron of the tribal
nobility who dwell in the citadels); Balazar (the Founder god of the
nation);
Foundchild the Hunting God (who blesses his grandchildren as they
direct their lives in that pursuit); Rigtaina the hunting nymph (daughter
of Foundchild and wife of Balazar);"
The reference to his cult being wiped out is irritating. I think there's
two ways to approach this (I like Peter's suggestion as well :
>So there's a division between the Sun Dome worshippers: the
>traditionalists (mainly found in Peloria) call him Tharkantus
>and the Orlanthi call him Yelmalio. When Balazar settled
>Votankiland, he was a worshipper of Tharkantus although he
>was not adverse to having Yelmalions in his temple.
>When the Emperor issued the Call For Heroes, nearly all the
>Tharkanti answered the call and were eliminated. Many of
>the Yelmalions did not and survived lingered around the Sun
>Dome Temples although gravely weakened until the Monrogh
>revival).
I still think that the Balazaring version of Yemalio/Tharkantus has
some major differences from the Sun County/Sun Dome versions.
1) All adults in the cult were killed but some underage kids were
left in Balazar to refound the cult. This explains the differences
between the Sun County/Sun Dome Yemalio and the version
worshipped in Balazar. That's how it is in my campaign anyway.
2) After the Dragonkill War Yemalio and Oralanthi adventurers are
Tharkantus is a crappy name anyway. (And I'm sticking with Mralota
supposed to visit Balazar. Finding the abandoned temples founded
by Balazar they mistake them for Yemalio temples and introduce
their religion convincing the locals it's the same as the one Balazar
worshipped. Anyone who knew Balazar is dead so that works. (The
cognate approach-All the Balazarings know is that they worship some
spear wielding, son of the Sun who's kind of uptight. You can call him
Tharkantus, you can call him Yemalio, they don't care what you call
him as long as you don't call them late to dinner).
so what if it's the Orlanthi swine goddess' name too).
Oliver D. Bernuetz
(who fancies himself as somewhat of a Balazaring expert)
bernuetz.oliver@cbsc.ic.gc.ca
www.geocities.com/bernuetz
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