Shamanic symbols for each culture

[Ironwall]

so the Role playing in Glorantha book states on pg 354  "As the Horned Man departs,
he gifts the shaman a drum. (The drum is a typical gift, but each
culture may have its own symbols: rattle, headdress, statues, etc.)"

so i have to ask what is the shamanic symbol of the different cultures of glorantha.

Edited February 25, 2022 by Ironwall

[Kloster]

spirit rune

[Akhôrahil]

Possibly the Gambling Sticks for Kolat and Chalk Man.

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, Ironwall said:

so i have to ask what is the shamanic symbol of the different cultures of glorantha.

Each of the hsunchen cultures (e.g. Telmori, Basmoli, etc.) are likely different, but I don't believe anyone has documented at that level.  I'd tend to stay with the drum, but have the drumskin marked with important sites for the culture in the Spirit World.

[Brian Duguid]

On 2/25/2022 at 10:02 PM, jajagappa said:

Each of the hsunchen cultures (e.g. Telmori, Basmoli, etc.) are likely different, but I don't believe anyone has documented at that level.

A Pralori shaman is illustrated with a drum in GtG, of course. Bearwalkers on Jonstown Compendium doesn't mention it for the Rathori. In The Coming Storm, the Telmori shamans are said to "wear necklaces of bones", but it's not clear if that is their gift from Horned Man. The Telmori shaman Jogar Sog has some rather special drums, but he is Ituvanu so operating outside the core Telmori tradition.

Until reading this post, I hadn't even considered it for the Hsunchen book that I'm writing 🙂

[Ian Absentia]

Leaning into the phrase "...each culture may have its own symbols..." here, does the symbolic gift even need to be specific to and consistent within a given culture?

I know that we're exploring the "typical" possibilities, though, so I'd suggest taking a page from the Runic affinities.  Just as Runes are commonly associated with certain elements, objects, and actions, so are Great animal spirits.  The drum is the cross-cultural call-to-center, the spiritual heartbeat, so any shaman of any culture might receive a drum.  A tradition following an animal spirit that parallels Movement or Air (e.g. Pralori, Uncoling, Qa Ying) might receive a flute; one similar with Earth or Fire (e.g., Rathori or Hsa) might receive a bullroarer; one tied to death (the Telmori?) might get a necklace of bones or teeth.

!i!

Edited February 27, 2022 by Ian Absentia

[jajagappa]

6 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

The drum is the cross-cultural call-to-center, the spiritual heartbeat, so any shaman of any culture might receive a drum.  A tradition following an animal spirit that parallels Movement or Air (e.g. Pralori, Uncoling, Qa Ying) might receive a flute; one similar with Earth or Fire (e.g., Rathori or Hsa) might receive a bullroarer; one tied to death (the Telmori?) might get a necklace of bones or teeth.

I like this better than being a cultural aspect.  Heart/drum, breath/flute, voice/horn, touch/fingerbones, mind/flintstone (i.e. spark), etc.  Connecting item with body with (potentially) Runes.

[Ironwall]

58 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

like this better than being a cultural aspect.  Heart/drum, breath/flute, voice/horn, touch/fingerbones, mind/flintstone (i.e. spark), etc.  Connecting item with body with (potentially) Runes.

I personally been assuming rattles for orlanthi cultures as an imitation of a storm Though flutes also make sense. Drums for praxians to imitate the hoof beats of herd beasts.

Edited February 28, 2022 by Ironwall

[Brian Duguid]

13 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

I know that we're exploring the "typical" possibilities, though, so I'd suggest taking a page from the Runic affinities.  Just as Runes are commonly associated with certain elements, objects, and actions, so are Great animal spirits.  The drum is the cross-cultural call-to-center, the spiritual heartbeat, so any shaman of any culture might receive a drum.  A tradition following an animal spirit that parallels Movement or Air (e.g. Pralori, Uncoling, Qa Ying) might receive a flute; one similar with Earth or Fire (e.g., Rathori or Hsa) might receive a bullroarer; one tied to death (the Telmori?) might get a necklace of bones or teeth.

I hope you don't mind if I steal some of this 🙂

[Ian Absentia]

I'm pretty sure that I channelled some public domain there, so please, feel free. 🙂  I pulled the Runic associations of Hsunchen totems off the cuff -- I'd enjoy seeing someone put more thought into them.

!i!

[Brian Duguid]

6 minutes ago, Ian Absentia said:

I pulled the Runic associations of Hsunchen totems off the cuff -- I'd enjoy seeing someone put more thought into them.

They will be in Cults of Glorantha for the five peoples that covers (Basmoli, Mraloti, Pralori, Rathori and Telmori): not all of those are exactly what I'd expect, based on the preview I've seen. I'll have a think about the other tribes for my Hsunchen book (currently just central and western Genertela, I may include Kralorela as well if I have the energy).