(urth) Honor
Andy Robertson
andywrobertson at clara.co.uk
Fri Nov 25 00:02:16 PST 2005
> By implication, the accusation extends upwards, to the Overcyn. In
> the end, Art is an Overcyn, and he goes against the apparent wishes
> of the Valfather to actually use his powers for the benefit of
> humans. Nowhere else (I think) is there any suggestion that the
> Overcyn have done this in the past.
This is a good post, and you diagram Art's development well, but you are
wrong if you think the pattern of pagan society did not include obligation
down as well as up. The feudal oath is about this obligation, and pagan
pre-christian society depended on it. As Art rises to Knight he gets plenty
of education in these values from his seniors.
OTOH Art (as a low-status man trying to fight his way up) certainly shows
little of these values to start with.
The Overcyn are an ideal pattern for humanity - among other things - and are
also the fathers and guides of humanity. They don't waste their powers on
trivial things because they are not omnipotent - far from it, they are busy
fighting Jotuns who are much more powerful than them - and their real hope
is to raise up new warriors from men to the status of Overcyn in order to
aid them.
Valhalla isn't a lollipop reward for virtue: Mythgarthr is a proto-Overcyn
training camp. That's why they don't "use their powers to aid humanity."
hartshorn
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