From: Barron Chugg (bchugg@leland.stanford.edu)
Date: Sun 17 Jul 1994 - 13:14:16 EEST
Hello All.
A quick thought on the Red Goddess (and, I guess, Nysalor/Gbaji) based loosely on Bryan's "What makes a god a god." post.
Bryan states:
>Okay, from what I've heard, there are actually two different kinds of beings
>that get called "gods" in Glorantha. The first are just big spirits, like
>Sog, or Sartar, or Arkat. They get their religion entirely from worship.
>Their worshippers, or lack thereof, determine their existence as divine beings.
>
>Then there are entities like Uleria and Humakt, who have a "secret power".
>This permits them to exist regardless of worship. Basically, wherever there
>is anything, there will be sex and death, at least in Glorantha.
The real seperation is between before Time and since Time gods. The post Time gods are considered powerful spirits, while the pre Time gods are "something special". But then there are those pesky, special since Time deities, Gbaji and the RG. They seem much more than just big spirits, they are much closer to the "old gods", but they are much more able to effect the real world. Maybe this is pretty obvious, but I had never considered it before. So this is what makes these beings esspecially onerous to the Compromise, they attained godhood, but managed to side step the restrictions that all others are forced to undertake. 'Course, they are both Chaotic and Illuminated.
One wonders if Arkat could also side step the restrictions, being illuminated and, at least one fifth, Chaotic. Heck, maybe he did, and that is how he manages to reappear for the Hero Wars.
>HOWEVER, from what I understand, the worshippers can greatly influence the
>specific form of the god.
Yep, but I bet it goes both ways. Those that follow the god will pick up some of the god's characteristics just as the god absorbs theirs. Who knows, maybe the next age will see a rise in the worship of Orlanth Sissified (maybe the Lunars have already started this cult in the hopes that it will weaken the storm god...).
Barron
Low Priest of Orlanth Whimsical
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