From: Joerg Baumgartner (joe@sartar.toppoint.de)
Date: Sun 04 Sep 1994 - 01:02:50 EEST
Duncan Hedderley in X-RQ-ID: 6007
> First, a disclaimer: I'm coming back to RQ after about 10 years away (or at
> least only in infrequent contact), so my opinions might be tinged with nostalgia
> or convenient forgetfulness. However...
Doesn't look like that. In fact, your views about diversity might be too modern for some of the later initiates to RQ.
> All this cult discussion (eg the Vinga thread) seems a bit too PRECISE for my
> taste.
> We're talking about myths and symbols here, and all this highfalutin'
> theology takes the magic and mystery away. Detailed delineations of the subcults
> and lesser gods in a pantheon might be appropriate for the more regulated/
> sophisticated cultures, but out in Dragon Pass/Prax I wouldn't be surprised
> if I rode into a village and found they were interpreting Vinga or the Garzeen
> aspect of Issaries completely differently
Also (Alex, reply in private, if at all!) the apparent fixation to one deity per cult seems to stem from this supplement. This parallel monotheism which resulted already contradicted Nomad Gods, with all the documented incidental worship and exchange of magic with whatever deity was available.
Prax IMO isn't what the GLs called "theist" anyway, it verges between naturalism and theism, in their nomenclature. So does most of the rural theist populace, to a lesser extent - the presence of hags or shaman hedge-wizards all over Sartar, and the acknowledgement of local spirits like the Lady of the Wild or Tarndisi in Dragon Pass isn't really theist. The theist society as described by the GLs was perhaps the Holy Country, especially Caladraland and Esrolia, and (although they never really visited it) Dara Happa, although the latter (and a lot of Peloria) has mystic tendencies - Nysalor, Red Goddess and Dayzatar, plus the surge of mysticism during the EWF.
> Niche
> cults like Lanbril seem a bit unlikely (especially since RQ 3 tightened up
> the requirements for recovering runemagic - somehow the idea of a Lanbril
> temple, and high holy days seems dafter than moose to me)
Niche cults survive by using niche cult mechanics. Eurmal is exempted from any temple size strictures, Chalana Arroy, Malia, Thanatar and Krarsht cheat by including cult spirits (as does Daka Fal), other cults like Black Fang simply ignore the word "theist" and do it the shamanic way only, taking the (Genertelan, or Theyalan-influenced) naturalist way.
One of the most sensible changes the RQ4:AiG draft made was to soften up the temple size rules and make them dependant on fervour as well (and reducing the minimum numbers to about half of the RQ3 rules).
> Maybe I'm on entirely the wrong track here; maybe in a world like Glorantha
> priests CAN just pray to one of their pantheon and get the inside story on
> whether Vinga is Orlanth's sister (older or younger) or daughter,
I think this is not the case. IMO Divination will yield only the personal (and thereby cultural) opinion of the caster, the deity seems to operate on the basis "if you feel you're in the right, so be it". (Don't howl, Devin)
> and whether
> it's more appropriate that you throw great parties or gather in the harvest
> to honour her
Once again, what feels right probably is, although in this case the reply is easier: do what the deity does in the myths you know.
As to Vinga's identity: If you try to apply linguistics, Vinga seems to be a likely candidate to be the (twin?) sister of Vingkot, and thereby a daughter of Orlanth (but not necessarily of Ernalda, although for sake of a peaceful hearth most myths assume she is).
--
-- Joerg Baumgartner joe@sartar.toppoint.de
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