[Glorantha] Re: The Earth Side of the Story

[Donald R. Oddy]

Transfered from the HQ list at moderators request.

In message <200512232233.30087.light_castle at sympatico.ca> Lightcastle writes:

>> I'm trying to get my head round Ernalda's view of all this and
>> so far I've got the following fragments:
>>
>> 1. Ernalda's marriage to Orlanth was a myth shaking event. It was
>>    the first time a marriage was not arranged for the couple.
>
>Really? What do you base that on? 

I'm basing it on the myth of Umath and Asrelia where they were
not allowed to marry (ST pg.198/9). This implies arranged
marriages to me and that is consistant with Yemic attitudes.
Orlanth and Ernalda broke that pattern as Ernalda was supposed
to marry one of Yelm's sons.

>I haven't seen a thing about the 
>other husband protectors. Were those all arranged? 

I'm not convinced that Ernalda married the husband/protectors
in the way we mean marriage. Whether it was a polyandros
marriage as interpreted by the Esrolians or serial monogomy
as the Sartarites view it I'm not sure. Bear in mind that the
Sartarites still arrange marriages, the crucial difference is
that the couple have the final say.

>And when was Orlanth in another arranged marriage? 

He wasn't AFAIK. All his myths refer to various lovers. Maybe this 
is another bit of sexism showing up. It's OK for Orlanth to have 
children by his lovers but Ernalda should be married. So the
myths are told as if all these gods had in fact married her.

>> 2. "Before" that marriage Ernalda had many husband/protectors of
>>    which Orlanth was one. It may well be that they should be
>>    called lover/protectors instead.
>
>I suspect that in the case of Sartarite mythology, it is possible 
>they are lover/protectors and are considered part of her young woman 
>phase, before her marriage. (IIRC, both women and men in Heortling 
>society are fairly free to take lovers before marriage.)

And equally after widowhood which would explain where other
husbands defend her during the darkness.

>> 3. "Before" that marriage Ernalda also placed greater reliance
>>    on the various Gori as "Guardians of the Earth".
>
>Hmmm.. I'm not so sure. Why are the husbands/lovers referred to as 
>protectors? Either all of them help take over the Guardian of the 
>Earth thing, or they don't. Also, doesn't Babeester Gor show up 
>after Ernalda sleeps/dies? I am not sure when the other Gori show 
>up, mind you.

Yes, Babeester Gor is born of the sleeping Ernalda and rises to 
avenge and rescue her. Maran Gor is Ernalda's sister and goes 
with her to Yelm's palace, then there are Erantha Gor, Maran 
Devor and Gatara Tor which are all subcults of Maran. I'm still 
struggling with quite how all these Avengers/Defenders of the 
Earth fit together. Equally I'm not too sure the mix of cultists 
in Sartar, Tarsh and Esrolia - it can't be as simple as Maran at 
Wintertop and Babeester in Esrolia.

>> 4. In Esrolia this marriage is downplayed as being equal to the
>>    others. It has been mythically proved that it is more at some
>>    stage but there are many in Esrolia who don't accept that and
>>    would HQ to change it.
>
>Mythically proved by who? The only mythical proof we have of that 
>would seem to be that Ernalda is forced to sleep when Orlanth dies. 
>Now, since she doesn't have to sleep in Tarsh (although that might 
>just be due to distance from the effect) it seems disputable.  What 
>about the other times Orlanth died? (ISTR him dying before.)

When was that? I'd don't recall any other death of Orlanth.

>> 7. Many of the other events that cause Orlanth's death and Ernalda's
>>    sleep are primarily related to the earth - I'm sure one of them
>>    involves the Maran Gori at Wintertop.
>
>That's interesting. Some massive hit on the Shaker Temple? 

We know the Tarsh Exiles are allied with the Temple in opposition
to the Lunars. I can't imagine the Temple failing to do something
when Ernalda is being attacked. The Lunars will know this so are
likely to take some action themselves but I'm not sure what they
are capable of.

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