From: CULLEN O'NEILL (cullen.oneill@thuemmel.com)
Date: Tue 24 May 1994 - 17:57:30 EEST
Nick Brooke in X-RQ-ID: 4084
NB>Ever hear of the Adamites? An early sect of Christian nudists, who NB>shunned clothing so as to return to primal innocence (a la Garden of NB>Eden) and died out for reasons unknown (presumably either from NB>embarrasment, or when the weather turned colder, or maybe they found NB>out it didn't work). Sadly, they were *TOO* early for inclusion in NB>Credo! (though we do have a more-or-less complete prequel game, The NB>Great Persecutions).
Yeah, they're one of the truly mind boggling heresies of all time! If I may quote from Norman Cohn's 'In Pursuit of the Millenium', for a bit:
"They held that God dwelt in the Saints of the Last Days, that is, in themselves; and that that made them superior to Christ, who by dying had shown himself to be merely human. They accordingly dispenced with the Bible, the Creed, and all booklearning, contenting themselves with a prayer which ran: 'Our Father who art in us, illumine us, thy will be done...' They maintained that heaven and hell had no existance save in the righteous and unrighteous respectively; and that they would live forever as denizens of the earthly Millennium."(Cohn 219-220)
Now just to get back on topic: How come there arn't any great heresies like this for the Malkioni? I mean ones that take the symbolism and myths of Malkionism and give them this kind of 180 degree turn? Or how about the Gnostics with their interpretation of the Adam, Eve, and the Serpent thing (see Pagels).
Answer because the Malkioni don't have any interesting myths for us to play with, unlike every other mythos that works. This is why I feel that Malkionism is a weak point of the game, no stories about the Creator or the saints, etc to work with... see I was on topic the whole time ;^).
Back to the original question, yes they went naked, but not ritually, because they regarded themselves at all times as having regained that 'state of innocence enjoyed by Adam and Eve'(Cohn 220)
This idea with the Gloranthan dieties as angels has promise! Did they rebel and go off to get worshipped? Or are they still loyal? Do they exist or not? What myths of their interaction with the Creator exist? With mankind? But can't we call them something a little less RW-ish? Using 'Saints' is bad enough! Saints and Angels and The Creator ==> too like Christianity (maybe)!
NB>Glorantha was first revealed to the public through White Bear & Red NB>Moon, then through Wyrms Footnotes (which had fascinating, scholarly NB>articles by Greg on religion - reprints coming soon from the Reaching NB>Moon Megacorp!) and Nomad Gods, and only afterwards through NB>RuneQuest. Claims of gaming primacy, special pleading and the NB>"historic debt" we all owe to RuneQuest fall down on this simple NB>point.
Therefore I suggest humbly that any elements not condusive to playing WB&RM be dispenced with imediately! <VBEG>
Nick Brooke in X-RQ-ID: 4093
NB>Fortunately, members of monotheist churches are usually far more NB>concerned about heresies (which are often infectious and can spread NB>inside their own church) than about paganism per se, which isn't and NB>can't. Best example in the real world is the success of the Varangian... [ommitted for 'brevity'}
NB>Malkioni. You're going to have a hard time for being foreigners, but NB>that happens wherever you go. You're unlikely to burn for it, unless NB>it serves the purposes of the scenario (check Genertela Book for NB>frequency of lynch mobs on the Western Regional Activity Table).
This fits in well with the above! What I want in the west is rampant Heresies! I posit that most of the major sects don't fight too much becuse they're all too busy burning the real nutters in their own regions. Now all I need to do is figure out some really off the wall interpretations of Malkionism, any ideas? <anybody!>
Cullen
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