May-18-2010, 04:02 PM (UTC)
(This post was last modified: May-18-2010, 05:04 PM (UTC) by Farseer.)
(May-15-2010, 08:18 AM (UTC))Chrischa Wrote: The Outislanders are also a lot more religious then the people of the Six Duchies, aren't they? Do we actually ever see a priest of Eda, El or Sa in the Six Duchies?
I can't think of any instance where we are introduced to one (?). The closest thing I can think of are the women/mothers themselves. At one stage, when the correct etiquette for the drawing of runes on Out Island maps is described, it talks about the very old laws, and how "every woman with a good mother knows them already". As they believe such laws are from "god's own lips", possibly it is the responsibility of the Narcheska and/or each mothershouse head to oversee the spiritual side of things?
(May-15-2010, 08:18 AM (UTC))Chrischa Wrote: That being said it'd be interesting to know which religion they follow in Chalced, as a god with a female aspect usually reflects positively on the attitude towards woman in a society.
In GF, Chalcedian captain, Captain Slyke, wrote about Duke Sidder in his execution verdict after the event with Tintaglia in Bingtown. He wrote of him as being "God-born" and addressed him as "my most gracious and divinely just Duke Sidder". Not sure if there was anything else!
Another couple of thoughts for the women-as-sort-of-spiritual-leaders idea in the Out Islands...what they do with the land "is not merely a matter of ownership, but a matter of Eda's worship".
There is also talk of a seer or an oracle on Aslevjal (much as what happened on Others Island, and who most likely, given what we've been told, turned out to be SWR) BUT the oracle of the Out Islands was said to be "raven haired and black eyed"...that she "lived for many generations, but remained young" (no doubt due to the Skill?). It goes on to mention how she came out to accept offerings of animal sacrifice and did so "in the name of the dragon" .
As an aside from the spiritual aspect, there are far too many instances of black-haired and black-eyed characters in the RotE, and I believe there is something in that eg a trait of a Skilled person/Elderling descendant?! It happens just one too many times for it to be a coincidence and I always mean to go back and begin compiling a list of characters with those features!! ***adding to research list***
Back to Aslevjal...it also suggests the possibility of an entire mothershouse full of oracles, with a Great Mother who passes on all of her seer duties to her eldest daughter. These daughters then went on to live beyond even the Great Mother's lifespan.
"I am the Catalyst, and I came to change all things. Prophets become warriors, dragons hunt as wolves."