Yelmalio's High Holy Day should be changed

[Rodney Dangerduck]

I was at a Winter Solstice celebration tonight, and it totally struck me.  This should be Yelmalio's High Holy Day.  This is the night when His Light is most needed.  Not in Fire Season.  I'm gonna change it for my Glorantha.

Unless you live in Oz or NZ.  🙂

[Malin]

Damn. I can't believe it. You're 100% right. I feel it in my bones. Lucia vibes.

Edited December 21, 2024 by Malin

[mfbrandi]

• Maybe, but isn’t it cyclical Yelm that is at his weakest at midwinter? It is Yelm’s reinvigoration one might pray for then, no?
  What of the other gods who are celebrated when they are most manifest rather than most needed (i.e. lacking/absent) — should their high holy days be flipped 180°?
   
• Yelmalio is the light that never goes out, and He shines at all times — day and night, throughout the year.
  You cannot see Him in the dark of Xentha’s midwinter night or the brightness of Yelm’s midsummer noon?
  You lack faith, cousin!
   
• How sympathetic you are to this viewpoint may depend on whether you see Yelmalio as integrated into the New Solar Order™ at the Dawn or heretically see Him as a permanent dissident, the last light of the old world, scornful of that ball of fire in thrall to the moon called “Yelm”.
   
• In favour of a Fire Season high holy day, one may see it as two fingers to the Yelmites — “You think you own this?”
  If in favour of the 180° flip (but keeping the HHD in Fire Season), one may see the time when Yelm is brightest and hottest as the time when Yelmalio is least apparent: when people laze floppily in the sun ogling scantily clad young men, Yelmalio’s moral backbone is most needed (but least likely to be found).
   
• In favour of a midwinter HHD (but sticking with peak manifestation), one could argue that Yelmalio is the Winter Sun (and therefore also the Sun of Night and the Sun of the North) and that is most manifest when Yelm is weakest. The real yo-yo headbangers will argue that this is new dispensation, soft on Time, soft on the causes of Time thinking: Yelmalio is eternally strong but never flashy.
   
• All of this leans heavily on need implying lack or want, and maybe that is not quite what you meant. Sorry (just in case).
  None of it is canon or even wannabe canon.

[Malin]

23 minutes ago, mfbrandi said:

How sympathetic you are to this viewpoint may depend on whether you see Yelmalio as integrated into the New Solar Order™ at the Dawn or heretically see Him as a permanent dissident, the last light of the old world, scornful of that ball of fire in thrall to the moon called “Yelm”.

Absolutely!

But also, reading your arguments I think the simplest solution is to give Yelmalio two high holy days. 😉

Edited December 21, 2024 by Malin

[svensson]

You're right.

It should be ELMAL'S High Holy Day 🌞

[John Biles]

The Solstice is pretty clearly when Yelmalio got mauled at the Hill of Gold.

[Akhôrahil]

14 hours ago, Rodney Dangerduck said:

I was at a Winter Solstice celebration tonight, and it totally struck me.  This should be Yelmalio's High Holy Day.  This is the night when His Light is most needed.  Not in Fire Season.  I'm gonna change it for my Glorantha.

Unless you live in Oz or NZ.  🙂

This holds true for Yelorna, I believe? HHD in Dark Season.

Edited December 21, 2024 by Akhôrahil