The Westfaring: A Map, and Some Notions

[jeffjerwin]

The Westfaring ‘following the Trail of the Dead’:

1. Encounter with Lhankor Mhy[1] and Issaries. This may have been somewhere around Dorastor or Lakrene[2]. It may have been on or near a mountaintop, as Orlanth is still flying to reach the West. It has been plausibly argued that Lhankor Mhy was a Sorcerer. Issaries had similar Western connections and is venerated as St. Ashara in Maniria.

There is also the somewhat disturbing possibility that Dorastor originally had primeval connections to Knowledge and Sharing, and thus was an ideal spot for the rebirth of Nysalor.

Issaries Town was in Dorastor before the Bright Empire.

Another possible site of importance for this event is Eneal, where was ‘the Temple of the Truth of Lhankor Mhy’ in a Vingkotling hill fort, and the nearby City of Ten Thousand Magicians, a centre of sorcerous learning. Lakrene is home to many Garzeen merchants [GtG I, p.342]. However, Lhankor Mhy is most likely connected to Lankst, a region of northern Ralios inhabited by Kachisti who were freed from Sorcerous rule by Orlanth himself. The Hero-paths of the Lightbringers passed through Lankst (GtG I, p.388).

2. The Lightless/Dead Forest/Nightwood and battle with Konagog and Vonagog. Orlanth is on foot because Eurmal had stolen his flying boots. This was a sleeping forest that covered nearly all of Ralios west of Delela.

[Parntor was ‘out hunting during the Sword and Helm War’ and thus survived it, though all of his brothers were killed. He was seeking the Doe Woman in ‘the lands where a cold wind always blew, and summer was like a day of ours’ [BoHM, p.120]. If she was one of the Galinini, this was probably northern Ralios, that is the Deadwood where Orlanth, LM, and Issaries were.]

After he lost his Air Rune, Orlanth, interestingly, was able to proceed out of his sacred territory, that is, the mountaintops, and enter the lowlands of Ralios.

[Estali in Ralios has sacred connections to Lhankor Mhy and to the Great Green Lady [Ernalda]]

Orlanth was equated with the Ralian god Humat in the First Age (c.180).

In Delela Orlanth fought the trolls at Voran’s Hill. Presumably they halted their hostilities to fight Chaos afterwards.

3. Alliance with Shankgaro of Hakiliv and the Uz near Hankarantal ‘where the cliffs cannot be scaled’ [in Ralios, Rockwood Mountains] against Chaos/ the ‘lesser Kajaboorings’. The Trolls recount a ‘great victory’ against Kajabor and Wakboth led by Zorak Zoran[3] near Hrelar Amali later in the Age of Chaos [see Trollpak, Uz Lore, p.9]. In the GtG, this is called ‘Hate Kills Everything’. ZZ killed Krjalk here, or cut him into a million pieces.

4. Encounter with Chalana Arroy and Flesh Man [Eneral the Old in Dangkae myth]. Flesh Man leads them after Eurmal; because Flesh Man was insane he could discern Eurmal’s route. Flesh Man may be Orlanth himself stripped of his divinity. Note that Hrelar Amali is where Eurmal killed Flamal and sacrificed his wooden body to make the first campfire, saving Humankind. But for this he was sentenced to death, and Orlanth and CA had to rescue him from that...

Chalana Arroy is possibly identical to Xemela, the mother of Hrestol, who shares many features with her, as well as a similar geography (Seshnela). Xemela ‘sacrificed herself’ to heal her sick people.

Chalana Arroy/Xemela is yet another ‘solution to sickness/starvation’ hero.

5. Rescue of Eurmal at Sorcerer’s Town. This appears to be Frowal.

6. Meeting with Ginna Jar at the Western Ocean; here the Lightbringers, unable to fly or leap, had to find a way across the sea. Orphalland, the far western tip of Sheshnela, has a link to Orlanth – there is the sacred tomb of the demigod Damol, ‘lord of the West’ and son of ‘Aerlit’ an Air god – Aerlit being in fact also described as the father of Malkion in Wyrm’s Footnotes.]

 

---

[1] From context, this is after the Spike was destroyed in 1042 B.D., though Lhankor Mhy was with Orlanth and Issaries at the battle against Chaos near Hrelar Amali (1350 B.D.). This one of the significant chronological disjunctions in this analysis.

[2] The Lakrene Storm God is Matu, which is an eroded form of Umatum or Umath. He is associated with Mount Matu in the Yolp Mountains, which may be the site of Umath’s dismemberment by Jagrekriand/Shargash, which inclines me to think that Orlanth may have challenged Shargash there and lost Mastakos in the Yolp Mountains.

[3] Zorak Zoran, also called Zolan Zubar and Hellwind, is initimately connected to Orlanth, though most would be loathe to admit it. We may compare the tribal name Solanthi. The Enerali claim that Zolan is the twin of Anehilla, the Blue Moon.

Edited December 19, 2017 by jeffjerwin
more on CA and Eurmal

[jeffjerwin]

Note also that when Arkat forged his two paths towards Dorastor, they correspond to the same routes that Orlanth took, though in differing directions. However, there aren't many possible routes physically unless one can fly...

I think the Second Council chose Dorastor specifically because it was where Orlanth met Issaries and Lhankor Mhy and thus combined secrets with sharing.

[jeffjerwin]

One may note that Yelmalio/Antirius encounters both Orlanth (the Selfish God) and Zorak Zoran (the Cruel God) at the Hill of God. In the Elmali variant, Chalana Arroy heals the mortally wounded Elmal, and he goes to the Storm Stead to become Orlanth's loyal friend and even proxy during the Westfaring. If Zorak Zoran/Hellwind is part of Orlanth after his divine helpmeet and equal (Ernalda - "there is always another way") has gone to sleep and Violence is the only remaining part of his toolbox, then he may have been healed, like Urox, by CA at Hrelar Amali, purging him of his wrath, which departs as an independent entity him to become the Troll god of Hate. This would allow both Orlanth and Hellwind to have fought against Chaos in the Deadwood.

N.B. The Deadwood may be dead because Flamal has been murdered. It's all a briar patch with Eurmal/Elmal.

Edited December 19, 2017 by jeffjerwin

[scott-martin]

On 12/19/2017 at 5:49 PM, jeffjerwin said:

after his divine helpmeet and equal (Ernalda - "there is always another way") has gone to sleep

Love all of this. Still pondering the notion that LM and our Issaries already had a relationship before coming to the Storm Ring, and many other things. On this one, strikes me that there's a fourth person at Hill of Gold who personifies frigidity "after the good goddess has gone away." Her story has yet to be really explored. 

[jajagappa]

52 minutes ago, scott-martin said:

On this one, strikes me that there's a fourth person at Hill of Gold who personifies frigidity "after the good goddess has gone away." Her story has yet to be really explored. 

From the Hill of Gold myths, Inora is the fourth.  This is noted in Arcane Lore: "Yelmalio gains immortality on the Hill of Gold Quest. Yet he must suffer terrible woes on his journey -- Orlanth wounds him and steals his weapons; Zorak Zoran appears and breaks his thighs; Inora, the white princess, leaves him spurned and frozen immobile."

"Inora: Any friendly darkness, water, or air cultist (the 3 components of winter). They can easily lose their Dark powers, as Inora did."

"The first day pits Yelmalio against Orlanth and Inora against Zorak Zoran. Yelmalio lost much power here, for Orlanth wrested the Lightning Spear from him. Inora lost her Darkness ties but remained independent, while Zorak Zoran lost his Cold powers but gained Inora's troll worshippers for his own."

"The second day pits Yelmalio against Zorak Zoran and Inora against Orlanth. Yelmalio lost all of his Fire and Heat, as is well-known. Inora traded with Orlanth, gaining the Mountain Winds as her cult avengers in return for giving up the right to prevent winds from playing in her mountains."

"The third day pits Zorak Zoran against Orlanth and Yelmalio against Inora. Neither Zorak Zoran nor Orlanth defeated the other, so their questers gain no benefit from this conflict except their life, or the death of their enemy. (In one Storm Bull version, this contest is the source of the Storm Bull magic that Zorak Zoran wields.) Yelmalio and Inora each defeated the other: Yelmalio gained the right to cast light upon the mountain peaks (and so they catch the light first and release it last), while Inora was able to resist the Sun (and thus her mountains remain
covered with snow all year)."

I agree that Inora's story is not really explored though, probably reflecting her lack of worshippers.

[jajagappa]

On ‎12‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 5:38 PM, jeffjerwin said:

Flesh Man may be Orlanth himself stripped of his divinity. 

This seems to conflate too many of the roles together (and also something that would occur too early).

[jeffjerwin]

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

I agree that Inora's story is not really explored though, probably reflecting her lack of worshippers.

My daughter wants to change that, of course, given her obsession with Elsa... Inora is interesting because of the Ice Queen motif in not only fairy tales but in popular culture. This oughta be made into a detailed hero quest for play.

[jeffjerwin]

2 hours ago, scott-martin said:

Love all of this. Still pondering the notion that LM and our Issaries already had a relationship before coming to the Storm Ring, and many other things. On this one, strikes me that there's a fourth person at Hill of Gold who personifies frigidity "after the good goddess has gone away." Her story has yet to be really explored. 

Prior to the shattering of the Spike/World Mountain Time/Entropy did not exist as a dominant force. Everything happened in "story time" order. Or that's my read of the situation.

[jeffjerwin]

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

This seems to conflate too many of the roles together (and also something that would occur too early).

You may depend on me for mythic over-reach. 

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, jeffjerwin said:

You may depend on me for mythic over-reach

I have done that in the past as well, but there are definitely motifs that tend to stay distinct.  Of course, it doesn't preclude ambitious God-learners (or Lunars) from trying something like stripping Orlanth of his divinity - just one of those attempts that's likely to snap back with disastrous consequences for those who try.

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, jeffjerwin said:

My daughter wants to change that, of course, given her obsession with Elsa... Inora is interesting because of the Ice Queen motif in not only fairy tales but in popular culture. This oughta be made into a detailed hero quest for play.

Quite agree.  

There's very few stories of Inora or her lineage.  There's not even very many stories of the White/Ice deities.

GRoY and Heortling Mythology have a bit on Ashtharcha aka Zenfel, the White God or Guardian/Pillar God of the North, who is broken by Umath.  "That which lay to the left of Yelm was called North, and the color was White, and the Power was Wisdom, and the Guardian was named Asharthcha. The city was called The Alabaster Camp."  and "White Overseer of the North, Ruler of the Compass, Keeper of Wisdom. He is also called the Long-bearded Measurer."

Yet in HM, we have: "Zenfel, the White God, the source of innocence and peace. Neither he nor his guests could ever be harmed as long as he kept this power intact. Zenfel had previously promised Umath healing and safety"

There are also very, very few deities with the "Cha" name.  Chalana Arroy being the other notable one (and she is the White Lady or White Goddess), but has no powers related to ice.

The Guide p.681 also notes "White Camp of Wisdom: The First Family of the Mountain People settled this camp. They are sometimes called the Long Beards."  

and p.683 "White Camp of Wisdom: The White Camp was destroyed when Umath was killed and crashed into the earth, forming a great crater. Umath’s sons came to this place to retrieve his powers and weapons."  and "White Sea: This sea was created in the final battle between Shargash and Umath. The waters rushed in to fill the devastation, leaving only Umath’s Crater above the waters."

The thing with the fall of the White Camp/Umath's death is that you get the mix of Whiteness, sea, and air - all the ingredients needed to birth Inora.  And there might be a correlation between her mountaintop association and the Pillars.  Of course, Inora might also be a daughter of Kero Fin.  (HM p.43 notes Inora's home at the top of that mountain)

And the Guide p.393 notes a tale of the Rockwoods: "Three Lovers: These three snow-capped peaks, the Giant, the Maiden, and the Priest, are the core of a series of love stories told about the winter goddess Inora, a mighty priest, and a colossal giant."  This may well be another telling of the story where Orlanth (the Giant) and Yelmalio (the Priest) compete for the hand of Inora (the Maiden).  

[scott-martin]

45 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

Chalana Arroy being the other notable one (and she is the White Lady or White Goddess), but has no powers related to ice.

One of my favorite hypotheses on her is that she comes from the far north. I like bringing her up in this context. Arguably like Inora, Chalana remains a maiden, aloof and maybe a little icy, the sister who elects not to marry anyone at all and so leaves the boys crestfallen. ("Let it go.") I wonder if Inora's cult waned as Chalana spread. 

[jeffjerwin]

42 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

 

The thing with the fall of the White Camp/Umath's death is that you get the mix of Whiteness, sea, and air - all the ingredients needed to birth Inora.  And there might be a correlation between her mountaintop association and the Pillars.  Of course, Inora might also be a daughter of Kero Fin.  (HM p.43 notes Inora's home at the top of that mountain)

 

Huh, that's interesting. I have, however, visited the birthplace of Zeus in Crete, and it's profoundly numinous, but I don't doubt that other places where he was born are also sacred.

It's my belief that Orlanth sometimes is born at the World Mountain (note he grows up at Umath's Camp there and goes north to Dragon Pass) and sometimes at Kero Fin, and they can't be completely disentangled. I think Kero Fin is as much a fragment of the Spike as Ernalda, Asrelia, and Voria are the same entity viewed at different ages. So there's nothing to counter indicate that Inora was not independently born on the peaks of several mountains - notably the "Top of the World" - that is, she came into existence when the world grew colder during the Early Storm Age/when Umath crashed into Earth/when the Sun was wounded/died/when Winter first came, wherever and whenever that moment was.

I can imagine her young and joyful when she first flurried into existence, until heart froze during the Great Darkness, and she was driven away from her kin by Eurmal's gift. Of course Yelmalio/Antirius/Elmal/the Priest, as the "patriarchal male" is in fact a grave danger to her wildness.

[Joerg]

Inora is one of the maternal siblings of Orlanth, alongside Quivin (and the lesser peaks nearby, fathered by Veskarthan), Yinkin (fathered by Fralar, the spirit of carnivorous beasts), and possibly Tara, Lady of the Wild (who, if she has a father, might have one from the Tree tribe). There doesn't appear to be a water tribe consort of Kero Fin, but both Orlanth and Yinkin have mated with Helera to father types of clouds that hang around her. Inora's father most likely is Himile. There may be some dragon offspring, depending on when exactly Orlanth interrupted Sh'hakarzeel's interaction with his mother.

All of these maternal siblings of Orlanth also are grandchildren of Larnste and Gata.

Kero Fin offers a local cohesion of deities from quite different and not necessarly on good terms with one another. While Umath offered hospitality to Veskarthan, they never had a formal treaty. In the Footprint myth, Orlanth and Veskarthan cooperate (with others) to limit the Predark in the Foulblood forest.

 

2 minutes ago, scott-martin said:

One of my favorite hypotheses on her is that she comes from the far north. I like bringing her up in this context.

Her father definitely comes from the North (or the Underworld). Whether she had anything to do with the White Pillar I don't know. Kalikos, the replacement pillar, is a sky god (or demigod, or both), and apparently unrelated to Zenfel (who according to Peter's Wikia was a planetary deity).

 

2 minutes ago, scott-martin said:

Arguably like Inora, Chalana remains a maiden, aloof and maybe a little icy, the sister who elects not to marry anyone at all and so leaves the boys crestfallen. ("Let it go.") I wonder if Inora's cult waned as Chalana spread. 

So Arroin was a virgin birth, a parthogenic birth?

Chalana Arroy predates Inora by an Age or two - she may have been the original Healer, setting that Green Age moment. Inora is of the Darkness pantheon, which entered the surface world when Umath crashed into Alkor, awakening Jagrekriand (Tolat) upon Alkor entering the Underworld.

While the Spike had a white peak, that white was the fire of Halamalao and his forest rather than the icy cold of Inora. Inora won this brightness at the hill of Gold at the same time that Orlanth lost Death to Zorak Zoran. O

 

[metcalph]

2 minutes ago, Joerg said:

Her father definitely comes from the North (or the Underworld). Whether she had anything to do with the White Pillar I don't know. Kalikos, the replacement pillar, is a sky god (or demigod, or both), and apparently unrelated to Zenfel (who according to Peter's Wikia was a planetary deity).

The Zenfel is a planet comes from the Book of Heortling Mythology p169

Quote

Zenfel: The White God, brother of Jagrekriand. He
was a planet in the northern quarter of the sky. Umath killed
him and destroyed his great crystal palace.

 

[Yelm's Light]

3 hours ago, Joerg said:

So Arroin was a virgin birth, a parthogenic birth?

Chalana Arroy predates Inora by an Age or two - she may have been the original Healer, setting that Green Age moment.

Quote

Chalana Arroy, Mythos and History, Before Time (CC, p. 151)

 Noted for her kindness and purity, she aided Orlanth, Issaries, Yelm, Humakt, Ernalda, Hykim, and others in several tales.  Her son, Arroin, beloved by all the world, was begat by one or all [???] of these gods.

'Begat' tends to imply something less than immaculate conception, unless Ernalda is the progenitor.  But what I find interesting is the next implication...conception by committee?  There are only two such examples of that which come to mind, and they were both tainted by Chaos (well, the Red Goddess indirectly).

[jeffjerwin]

1 minute ago, Yelm's Light said:

'Begat' tends to imply something less than immaculate conception, unless Ernalda is the progenitor.  But what I find interesting is the next implication...conception by committee?  There are only two such examples of that which come to mind, and they were both tainted by Chaos (well, the Red Goddess indirectly).

Well... Chalana Arroy is actually neutral toward Chaos. Sorta like Humakt...

Edited December 24, 2017 by jeffjerwin

[Joerg]

6 hours ago, Yelm's Light said:

'Begat' tends to imply something less than immaculate conception, unless Ernalda is the progenitor.  

Compare the thoughts of spiritual purity among the Unicorn Women, discussed in the thread "Prax and the many things...".

 

6 hours ago, Yelm's Light said:

But what I find interesting is the next implication...conception by committee?  

Divine birth doesn't really have to go with concourse. For a Real World example, Heimdall had nine mothers - the waves.

 

6 hours ago, Yelm's Light said:

There are only two such examples of that which come to mind, and they were both tainted by Chaos (well, the Red Goddess indirectly).

There are the ancestors of the made humans who have similar arrays of "parents". (In this regard, the Dara Happans are quite similar to the Agimori.

[jajagappa]

16 hours ago, scott-martin said:

One of my favorite hypotheses on her is that she comes from the far north. I like bringing her up in this context. Arguably like Inora, Chalana remains a maiden, aloof and maybe a little icy, the sister who elects not to marry anyone at all and so leaves the boys crestfallen.

I definitely believe that Chalana Arroy came from the north - whether from the White Camp or among the Altinae (or perhaps those are synonymous).  Her name may mean something like "White/North Lady" "Healer" (given the link between Arroy/Arroin).  Whether "icy" is another question.  And if Arroin is her son, then not a maiden.

[jeffjerwin]

I think that Chalana Arroy is hardly likely to be a maiden myself but is likely a single mother. My Chalana Arroy is sometimes a bit cranky and has no time for B*llshit (hence her power over Urox) but also has a pretty solid core of empathy compassion: otherwise why does she heal Chaos? Why does she have pity for Eurmal? I think she in fact embodies the comprehension of suffering.

It is possible, however, that Arroin is adopted, which would be healing another kind of loss.

[Yelm's Light]

43 minutes ago, jeffjerwin said:

It is possible, however, that Arroin is adopted, which would be healing another kind of loss.

Unlikely, since there's nothing in canon that supports it. That would be an important fact that you'd think at least both cults would have a tale about.

[jajagappa]

3 hours ago, jeffjerwin said:

otherwise why does she heal Chaos?

There may be situations where she feels there is an opportunity to do so, but ultimately as one of the Lightbringers she clearly recognized that chaos is a cancer that can not be healed and must be cut out.  She certainly directly opposes Mallia.

[jeffjerwin]

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

There may be situations where she feels there is an opportunity to do so, but ultimately as one of the Lightbringers she clearly recognized that chaos is a cancer that can not be healed and must be cut out.  She certainly directly opposes Mallia.

Isn't Mallia not only only peripherally of Chaos, but also incorporated into Time (unlike other Chaos gods?) - disease is now a part of Gloranthan life. And Mallia doesn't even have the Chaos Rune - she's got Darkness and Death.

[Joerg]

Malia (the goddess of bad things, not the goddess of apples, to those of you with a minimal smattering of Latin - think "Saggitus" vs. "Sagittus") provides individual immunity, but no herd immunity. The individual becomes a carrier instead, and only a herd of carriers is safe on their own. Woe to anyone getting into contact with that herd, though.

It is true, Malia is not a chaotic being in herself. She is a being of darkness, similar to Mee Vorala in a couple of aspects, but she, too, is responsible for combining moral evil with Chaos, creating the Devil - the worse of the pair of Great Deities of Chaos. Kajabor corrupted through his nature, but Wakboth corrupted for the sake of causing damage to whichever not-yet corrupted parts of the world there were.

(That's why I am pretty certain that it was Kajabor who was corrupted into being the seed of Time rather than Wakboth - that entity lies being smashed and seared under the Block, with the waters of Sounders River bleaching away on its edges.

It would be interesting to calculate the catchment area of rainwater going down the Good Canal to keep the cancerous growth of the Devil in check. But that''s a side issue.)

 

Personally, I think that Chalana Arroy came from the Celestial Palace on top of the Spike, but she left early on in the Golden Age, spreading her Healing to those suffering from their Green Age moments. The Celestial Palace is associated with white, purifying flame, and bringing that into the suffering world is the role of Chalana. She may have visited and taught the White Camp first, though.

[Yelm's Light]

On 12/23/2017 at 11:49 PM, Joerg said:

There are the ancestors of the made humans who have similar arrays of "parents". (In this regard, the Dara Happans are quite similar to the Agimori.

When it comes down to it, all races were 'made' at their beginnings by gods.  But we're talking about the genesis of gods here, a somewhat different proposition.