[Glorantha] Cult distribution

[Donald R. Oddy]

In message <f91200f10512081554m215655b3h745cedcd12250ce1 at mail.gmail.com> Jeff Richard writes:

>Fwiw, much of the initiation occurs on the Other Side.  At a clan
>level, there just isn't going to be someone initiated to each of the
>12 lesser gods and goddesses of the Storm Tribe, let alone someone
>initiated to each of the minor gods and goddesses.  As a general rule
>of thumb, if you worship Orlanth or Ernalda, your clan will be able
>perform most of the ceremonies (although many subcults will only be
>found at a tribal level and certain aspects - such as Thunderous and
>Queen - will only be found at a tribal level).  If you worship one of
>the lesser gods and goddesses, you will have to look to the tribal
>center or beyond.  And if you worship a really minor god or goddess,
>you might have only one or two centers in Sartar.

Indeed, my point is that at least one of the Gors plays a major
part in the *Ernaldan* initiation and probably other common
Ernaldan HQs.

>As a general rule, most of the Esrolian settlers ended up as Grazers,
>most of the Tarshite settlers ended up north of the Creek.  The rest
>were largely Hendriki (with the usual exceptions).

That's new to me, the impression given by BA and OiD is that the
clans came from all over Heortland and Esrolia and got mixed up
together. As far as the Tarshite influence that's going to be
more from proximity than history.

>>In relation to this I split your figures between male and females
>>as follows:
>
>[Good stuff deleted]
>
>>Now that gives a total of 875 males in minority cults but only
>>530 females whereas I would expect about 700 each. So either
>>the is a social reason why women are much less inclined to
>>choose other gods or we're missing some cults.
>
>Actually, we should deduct about 200 Elmal worshippers from the
>Orlanth cults - the Enhyli are a statistical aberration.  That 
>gives us 675 to 530, which probably is off a bit.  There might 
>be a lot more women in the Other column, there might be more 
>women Eurmali, and so on.  

It would take all the Eurmali and Others to be women to get a
rough balance (610/595). Equally 50% women is probably excessive
for cults like Heler, Issaries, Lhankor Mhy and Yinkin.

>I think 120 Ernatha Gori is a bit much.  I really doubt the cult 
>has more members in most tribes than Issaries or Humakt.  

Why? those are specialist cults. 

In Issaries' case the Harst subcult is also a subcult of Orlanth 
Allfather. So you can argue that most of these traders are in 
fact part of the Orlanth cult. Certainly I don't think the tribe 
supports a hundred Garzeen and Gultha traders. Even a hundred 
traders of all types is five per clan plus another 25 at tribal
level.

In Humakt's case there's actually less reason for his membership
than Erantha Gor. There's little he can do that can't be done
by the fighting subcults of Orlanth. Indeed where a clan has
an Earth ring the war leader is usually a Maran Gori (per BA
pg 15) which implies they provide a significant proportion of 
the clan warband. In such a clan I doubt there are many Humatki
at all.

>Now that might be true in Old Tarsh (in fact, it probably is true), 
>but the Colymar have Hendriking origins.

But some clans are pretty near the Tarsh border, if there's been
any intermarriage then there'll be cultural sharing as well. My
impression of Tarsh, particularly the exiles, is that the proportion
of Gori is at least one in ten, maybe as many as one in five.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/