Are there any male nature spirits in Glorantha ?

[scott-martin]

16 hours ago, Eff said:

using "nature spirit" as a structural role

Yeah, this is a functional distinction IMG. What does the entity do? What magic does it transact? And from the other side, what do satyrs do within the beast magical ecology?

Some have bodies, some don't. Some are attached to bodies, some aren't. Sometimes you need a body and sometimes you don't. Some bodies work different. These are deep considerations for the animist.

This is why I tend to focus on the human side of the interaction with "nature spirits" and their gender. Show me the magician (intentional or otherwise) and we can talk about when the entities they interact with are "male."

[French Desperate WindChild]

1 hour ago, mfbrandi said:

do what you want

of course sir 🙂

but i like to understand in any post (mine or other's) if what is said is from the books and  canonical (so for me the only satyr source I know in rqg is rqg bestiary) or some personal consideration

in all cases no problem to share them, I may "incorporate" some other's non canon perspective if it fits with my glorantha and sometime "reject" some canon rule or background.

 

there are a lot of interesting options, but for people like me, knowing the source is important !

[mfbrandi]

2 hours ago, French Desperate WindChild said:

but i like to understand in any post (mine or other's) if what is said is from the books and  canonical

Satyrs as nature spirits was canon in Hero Wars days, but it is safe to say that means nothing, now. If I knew what the official line was today, I would tell you — honest! Someone here will know.

[soltakss]

On 1/11/2023 at 7:56 PM, French Desperate WindChild said:

why do some of you consider Satyr or other beastmen as spirits ?

they symbolize irl some nature aspect, but in glorantha ? yes they are more bestial so more "not tamed nature" than others (I use the words in the description of the man rune) .

They have flesh, they can't discorporate.

They embody the lustful part of nature.

Not every nature spirit has to follow the templates used by Hags/Dryads/Naiads and so on.

Not every nature spirits needs to be able to discorporate.

They are probably more akin to being a type of nature nymph rather than spirit, but not the same as other nymphs.

[French Desperate WindChild]

6 hours ago, soltakss said:

They embody the lustful part of nature.

Not every nature spirit has to follow the templates used by Hags/Dryads/Naiads and so on.

Not every nature spirits needs to be able to discorporate.

They are probably more akin to being a type of nature nymph rather than spirit, but not the same as other nymphs.

so it is not spirit as game mechanic entity, more as background "a being representing (maybe created by) a nature aspect" ?

Am I right ? or I miss something ?

[soltakss]

15 hours ago, French Desperate WindChild said:

so it is not spirit as game mechanic entity, more as background "a being representing (maybe created by) a nature aspect" ?

That's how I see them now, as nature beings, as incarnations of a type of nature. 

So, yes.

[Darius West]

On 1/9/2023 at 3:31 AM, Agentorange said:

The nature spirits presented in the bestiary are all ( as far as I can see ) modelled on the idea of Greek nature spirits: Oreads,Dryads and so on. And so are all female.

Which begs the question are there any male ones  for RQ/glorantha ?

You raise an interesting point Agentorange.

In Greek mythology, the male counterpoint to female nature spirits were generally Satyrs, the randy sons of the god Pan.  Nymphae and Satyrs were considered to be Genii Loci (Spirits of place) within the Greco-Roman myth system.  Genius Loci however is etymologically the origin of the Arabic term Jinn, and Jinn are described as spirits of heat and fire that live in the wilds of the deserts.  There are distinct similarities between Jinn, ghosts and faeries in Earth mythologies.

In Glorantha however, the Continent of Genertela had a catastrophe during the Greater Darkness, in that Wakboth killed the Giant God Genert, and thus removed the male principle from connection to the Earth.  This is not the same in Pamaltela, where their male Land God Pamalt is still very much alive.  On this basis however, one might say that some Giants of the mountainous variety are children of Genert and therefore male Earth spirits, were it not for the fact that there are also female giants.