From: Joerg Baumgartner (joe@sartar.toppoint.de)
Date: Wed 10 Aug 1994 - 20:51:45 EEST
Peter Metcalfe in X-RQ-ID: 5567
>>Do you subscribe to my view that the ancient KoL was "divided into six parts: >>one of each element and one human?
> Your theory on the Kingdom of Logic is a bit too neat for my liking, Joe.
> Afterall we earthlings may think the theory of four elements is universal, but
> the Chinese had five and left out air! The KoL for instance may not have
> recognized a distinction between Darkness and Water and that the only reason
> why we do in Glorantha is that the God Learners decided it would be better to
> our understanding of the cosmos. If you have any source that I don't, then
> tell me about it!
I think I have largely the same sources as you have, but my Library Use skill tends to bring up connections different from other peoples' Library Use.
Bertalor's document shows us a late 1st Age Malkioni interpretation of the elemental forces. He recognizes Fire (Lodril, maybe Zrethus), Darkness (Nakala), Earth (Ga), Water (Sramak), and Air (Umath).
The Brithini know five elemental forces, and have special schools of sorcery attached to them. They are the ones also acknowledged by the God Learners: Darkness, Water, Earth, Fire, Storm/Air.
(Ok, this bit may have crystallized from various private communications.)
IMO the five element division we take as default originated in the Kingdom of Logic and was reflected in southern Dragon Pass, the heart of the Theyalan civilisation (and source of most theist cultures).
The absence of Moon and Void/Chaos from these combinations speaks for itself...
The story of Humct and the presence of Zrethus and Uleria (two source deities for Power Runes) in Bertalor's document make it likely that the Brithini also have eight (or ten, if we include Luck and Fate) schools of Power sorcery, or alternatively eight (or ten) sorcerous techniques.
(This drifts off into Runic Sorcery, which I won't debate now.)
--
-- Joerg Baumgartner joe@sartar.toppoint.de
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