Five sons of Umath

From: Joerg Baumgartner (joe@sartar.toppoint.de)
Date: Tue 24 May 1994 - 22:16:20 EEST

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Sandy Petersen in X-RQ-ID: 4115

> 	The GLs "discovered" Kolat's importance, but it's probably a  
> result of their realization that Umath must have somehow spawned all  
> the sylphs and storms of the world. The GLs then discovered that  
> Umath did so by spawning one giant sylph-thing, which broke up into  
> sylphs and storms. The GLs called this briefly-existing entity Kolat.  
> It doesn't mean there's a personality-possessing entity called Kolat  
> alive today, or ever alive (except for that brief moment during  
> Godtime before he fragmented). But the GLs feat in discovering this  
> fact doesn't mean that there was never any Kolat. Just that they  
> found out about him. 

I disagree with this view, mostly because it would spoil my campaign.

Putting my God Learner hat over my Arkati headband, and wearing my monomyth glasses, here are my heresies:

Umath had five sons, from the elder three of whom most of the other storm deities descended.

The eldest son was Umaths son of the world, the physical winds of the world. It fathered a host of air and wind spirits and deities of mostly local importance. This entity blows as a soft and gentle wind as well as a roaring hurricane, and can carry bad stenches as well as bring fresh air.

The second son was his bestial son, the berserk. He wedded the earth and fought against chaos. Few of his children are detailed as fully fledged deities.

The third son was his brutal son, the destroying wind. He too had children which became deities, some of these even important figures in the pantheon. This is the son of Umath who died in Godtime, killed by his brother.

The fourth was the honourable warrior wind, who became the keeper of Death, and disavowed his family ties. Only one son of his ever appeared in myth and history.

The last son was the adventuring wind, who befriended many of the other deities and became a leader, who challenged the ruler of the universe and replaced him. He subdued each of his brthers and got hold over some of their powers, and rules the world.

It is easy to identify sons 2, 4 and 5 in Third Age mythology: they are Urox/Storm Bull (2), Humakt (4) and Orlanth (5). Sons 1 and 3 are hard to identify.

Reading the Initiation of Orlanth in KoS, we learn that the first son survived his initiation by blowing with a force that moved everything else, the force of the winds. The text says that this son's name was Vadrus, but in The Sons of Umath the eldest son is named Kolat.

The third son was thrown into the sex pit, and became obsessed with rape. The context makes it clear that this son later became known as Ragnaglar. He also is the destructive wind, of fierce and mindless violence, as is stated on top of the same page (64) for Vadrus.

The third son of Umath was killed by one of his brothers. In some myths we learn that Storm Bull slew Ragnaglar, in others Humakt slew him, or Vadrus. The myths are vague.

This humble God Learner would not accept the genealogy given on page 63, because the number of Umath's sons is wrong. Some times "Vadrus" really is "Kolat", some times he really is "Ragnaglar".

I believe that the Storm gods are often confused or equated in Orlanthi as well as non-Orlanthi myths. I'll give a few examples of possible confusion.

• The Goddess of the Still Air is said to be Molanni, concubine to Yelm, or Brastalos, wife to Magasta. Both are said to be daughters of Vadrus.
• There is a Storm deity cited as the father of the Pamalt pantheon storm gods, Keraun and Sikkanos. The god Learner write-up says Orlanth.
• a horde of warring storm deities coursed over the world, led by the sons of Umath. Their leader generally is named Vadrus. Some times the warriors are local winds, like Aerlit or Ygg, fathers of the human ancestors of the Westerners, or the fathers of the various mertribes, Janelosp (Gnydron), Egransk (Malasp), Gornaloth (Ysabbau), Diendimos (Ludoch) and Por Janks (Ouori). Plentonius (GRoY) has the leader of the air gods as Umatum, Lanatum, Oralanatus, and Rebellus Terminus.

So to give names to the sons of Umath, I just present names given to each number of the sons, using all sources I recall, without quoting them.

1.
- Kolat, father of the spirits of the wind (among these Aerlit, ather
of Malkion)
- Umbrol, father of the sylphs, the elementals

• Orlanth, the world storm (in Elder Secrets), and as father of e.g. Keraun and Sikkanos
• Orlanth Thunderous
• Umath

2.
- Storm Bull, son of the beast mother (Mikyh?), husband of the beast
mother (Eiritha), god of berserkers.
- Urox or aurochs

• husband god in Earth mythology

3.
- Vadrus, father of the bad gods of the Air (especially Gagarth and
Molanni), killed in the Gods War
- Ragnaglar, father of the Devil, killed several times in the Gods War,
(by Humakt and Storm Bull)

4.
- Humakt, god of swords, death, honour

• Resant, storm and war god of the Fronelan hill barbarians in Jonat's Saga
• Orlanth, war god and wielder of Death

5.
- Orlanth, King of Gods

• Orlanth Adventurous
• Orlanth Lightbringer
• Worlath (in Ralios)
• Resant (in late 2nd Age Fronela)
• husband god in Earth mythology

PS: All this is God Learner rubbish, and naturally wrong. Is it?

--
-- Joerg Baumgartner joe@sartar.toppoint.de

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