From: Roderick Robertson, SC1-5, x52936 (ROBERTSON@delphi.intel.com)
Date: Sat 02 Apr 1994 - 20:57:00 EEST
Roderick Here,
Harald Smith writes:
> Since most of the world's population does not live in cities, but
> in small villages, you are unlikely to have enough people to play
> sports that require large teams. Most games such as soccer or
> baseball are urban developments of the early modern to modern
> world. Far more likely in the villages are wrestling matches
> (certainly popular in my development of Imther and also IMO in
> any Orlanthi based culture) or games involving a limited number
> of teens or young adults utilizing the cultural weapons be they
> javelins, spears, bows, etc. And in the nomadic areas where most
> people spend their time looking after the herds or hunting (just
> surviving day-to-day), you are unlikely to have any sports except
> at major tribal gatherings (again picturing games or competitions
> which emphasize the cultural weapons or skills).
Not particularly true. The Scots, have a version of field hockey (Shinty/Camanach) that can be played by almost any number of people. In Scotland, the games was literally played between villages (One goal is the corner of that house in that village, the other goal is that oaktree in that other village). Games could last all day, with all able-bodied men joining in. Teams of 10-20 in *any* culture are not large, even if that is the total game-playing population of the village. As far as not allowing Golf to the sartarites, Shinty was the precursor to it, when we try to explain Shinty, we call it full-contact or combat golf...
James Polk:
>Additionally, in any society which spends 90+% of its time trying to
>keep themselves alive (Nomads in the Wastes, the RQ 2 Balazarlings),
>these contests would occur only during special events, such as Sacred Time
>celebrations. When one spends all one's time trying to get enough to
>eat, games don't seem very important.
Those Hunter/Gatering or Nomadic societies usually prove to have *more* free time than civilized folk. They are not trying to build up reserves of useless things (Money, furniture, books...), instead, as soon as they have enough food (whether for a day or a week, it depends on what they consider "enough"), they stop working. Without the impedimetiae of 'civilization', they can spend more time on what they consider recreation. This is not to say that games based on war (football) or hunting (hide and seek) are not considered recreational.
Various and sundry items...
The game played in Afghanistan with the headless calf is Bouzkashi (sp?), and is another violent sport (not only do you worry about your opponents, you've got to stay on the horse!).
There are Broo ecology writeups in Borderlands and River of Cradles
A Fester of Broos? Postule of Broos?
DANCING IN GLORANTHAN CULTURES Something I've though on was the style of Folk dancing in various Gloranthan cultures:
Orlanthi prefer Line dances (Like Greek/Israeli), or Circle dances
Earth Cults like Square Dances (not necessarily the 'called' American Square Dances, there are squares in other cultures: Irish and Scottish for instance)
Dara Happans - five or ten couple facing-line dances like many set dances (for instance the Virginia Reel). They'd be slow and courtly with a lot of posturing and intricate steps.
Lunars - Goddess knows... (Mosh-pit insanity?) I assume they haven't actually developed "Lunar" dances, they do whatever dances they acquired from the cultures in the Empire. One possibilty for the lunars is a medieval dance called the Bransle (pronounced Brawl). It starts as a sedate circle dance, with a moment of insanity. It speeds up as you go.
Sun Domers - Don't dance (Just kidding). Most likely segregated Circle dances, possibly with a central dancer showing off (Sun Rune) in the men's circle. (Why don't Sun Domers make love standing up? They don't want anyone to think they are dancing...)
Nomads - Based on American Indians, they'd do Circle dances. I don't know enough about mongol dances.
All cultures tend to have dances done by individuals, those in mountainous regions on Earth all have a lot of leaping and vertical movement (lack of flat ground for dance floors? or well-developed legs from climbing hills, who knows?)
Couple dancing (Hambo, Waltz, Polka, etc) happen in many cultures (I'd keep them away from the up-tight Solars), the spinning seems natural for Orlanthi.
Remember that dances can be used for many social outlets - Showing off finery, showing off prowess or strength, flirting, snubbing, and other forms of courtship.
I have also only focused on Folk dances, not religious ones.
Roderick Robertson
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