[Glorantha] Re: Dark Eater?

[Malk Williams]

Mikko and Simon (Hibbs) agree that:

>> the Dark Eater is [a gestalt entity;] both Karrg, Zorak Zoran, and
>> several others. That is, the Dark Eater is a primal (more animistic)
>> concept than the relatively sophisticated troll gods of Zorak Zoran and
>> Karrg.

Sounds good to me too.  It brings up what I have long thought is an
interesting question about the extent to which gods do actually change and
grow more sophisticated, and the extent to which their worshippers evolve
and simply see more complex aspects of the thing they have worshipped for as
long as anyone can remember*.  A bit like Michaelangelo's block of marble I
suppose.  Observers see the Artist carving a block into a statue,
Michaelangelo always described it that the finished statue was there all
along, he simply had to reveal it.

*This applies to RW as well as Gloranthan religions.  Throughout the Old
Testament, there is a discernable change in the perception of Yahweh, as He
stops flooding the world, smiting people with fire from the skies and
turning them into pillars of salt.  Ultimately (to Christians), He becomes
the Loving God of the New Testament, though the Crusades demonstrated the
willingness of the Christian Church to go back to the more violent, less
pacific teachings of the Old Testament when it suited its purpose.

Having already had my wrist slapped once this month for a protracted RW
discussion, I'm not planning to take that any further, I just thought it
provided an interesting counterpoint.

Cheers -

Malk.