Re: pigs

• In WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com, "sarahnewton111" <sarah.newton5@...> wrote:
  >
  >> Your mention of dung set me to thinking about the low profile of pigs
  > amongst the Orlanthi as currently documented (I'm sure I wasn't the
  > only one ;-) ).
  

You weren't, actually. When I've made characters for Orlanthi settings I keep putting in pig references (by way of example my farmer in Sam's PBEM game has as part of his narrative: "so hiked he the Giant's-Path with seed-laden plough-team, leading pig-herding Neela and brothers-herding Myarra." )

Given their importance in real-world farming
> communities as providers of dung, ploughing services, and general
> cleaner uppers (plus of course marvellous meats, hams, sausages, bacon
> sarnies, and hog roasts), I wonder that they don't have a greater
> profile in Orlanthi myth, along the lines of sheep or cows. It feels
> at least there should be some big Ernalda connection. We know they
> exist, that cottars generally look after them, and that their patron
> is Entra, so I presume there are no major taboos... Is it just that
> they're not very important on a mythological level? (ie their
> devotees are relegated to the back seats with Kup-kup the Chicken
> Mother and Reepicheep Father of Dormice ;-) )

Love the reepicheep reference :-)

I can think of a few factors:

1- they are more earth tribe than storm tribe. That is I think there is a very strong earth tribe connection (in the King of Dragon Pass computer game, for instance, Ernalda's shrine/temple can give the 'swine blessing' blessing). So amongst the more boastful men folk Entra just does not get talked about that much. (I wonder who (if?) her husband is?). They may be considered more central in Esrolia.

2- For whatever reason they early on became associated with cottars, so by definition are not high status, and not cared about as much.

3- Pigs are so independant that they do not need as much guarding and tending, and so the clan as a whole does not develop the same bond with them as with those critters they spend more time cherishing.

3- Pigs are so independant that they don't need a lot of help to thrive, and so people just don't need to think about them as much.

4- Pigs were more heavily associated with some group of Orlanthi that did not survive the darkness so well. So dominant Heortling culture had pigs kind of on the periphary.

5- Their storm tribe association is with (orlanth adventurous sub-cult of wilderness survival whose name I forget). I have a personal suspicion that when Orlanth was first adventuring in the wilds in this form he might have been something like a giant boar, or fought one, or sired one. You look at the cult description and you think of the pig family, and they just kind of match up well.

So, all that is just some of the speculation of someone else whose been thinking about the whole pig issue :-)

--Bryan             Received on Thu 17 May 2007 - 10:02:50 EEST