Mike Hagen in Seshnela

Gloranthan Folk Tales

Gloranthan Songbook

Moonie Madness

Carmanian Sources

Malkioni Scriptures

Mike Hagen has written a critical and creative commentary (aka "a few loose thoughts") on my notes about Malkionism, and more pertintently its interpretation in Gloranthan culture.

Rokari Realism: Bushido vs. Chivalry

The Kingdom of Seshnela is, I think quite rightly, portrayed as the Medieval world as it was, rather than as it saw itself (or indeed as we see it through the spectacle of pageantry, cf. Loskalm, but more of that anon). However, I'm worried by the lack of positive self-image this creates for the societies of Seshnela and (by asscociation) most of Safelster. Your depiction of Seshnelan knights as 'armoured thugs' is accurate, but needs depth. Let me introduce the idea of Samurai at this point. Here we have a military elite that owes nothing to the peasant population it ostensibly protects, but is also alienated from the ruling elite of the imperial court and yet bound by its own internal sense of honour.

Within the inflexible boundaries of Rokari belief, a knight is a knight and serves no other purpose, nor can he ever aspire to be anything else. There is no time for 'chivalry' as such, but let us replace it with 'bushido', perhaps? A total devotion to the arts of war and personal puissance at arms. If Rokarism is a conscious attempt to return to an old fashioned Brithini purity, then what we have is an aping of the Horal class of warriors. I am convinced that the Rokari believe themselves to be living in the best of all possible societies, as does everyone else in Glorantha for that matter, and that their farmers are the best farmers, their knights the best knights and their wizards the best wizards. Thus Seshnelan agriculture is simple and orderly, their warfare violent and brutal and their magic direct and lacking in 'showmanship'. Seshnela looks and feels almost as grey as Arolanit, but definitely muddier and dirtier.

Now let us look at Rokari Heroquesting. I like the description of the Hrestoli knight meeting the Black knight as opposed to an Orlanthi seeing Humakt guarding the bridge. Surely a Rokari knight would actually see Death, hooded and carrying a scythe riding a pale horse. His reaction may be to show no fear and simply ignore Death's warnings. If a knight sees his function to fight and protect then that is what he will do! Thus whether he his kind or cruel, brave or craven has no relationship to his actual role in society. His character will modify his actions but not demonstrably change them. Thus if we take Kurosawa's film as a backdrop then we see how seven different character types interact to fulfill their assigned 'duty' as well as they are able to.

It is only a short leap from here to another paradigm, that of the Magnificent Seven and the whole 'Western' (rather appropriate I think) genre: violent, bloody yet permeated with a clear idea of right and wrong, good guys and bad guys even if we are unsure or ambivalent about the moral values of our protagonists, we at least know that despite their personal failings the'll save the village and shoot up the banditos before riding of into the sunset in search of who knows what. And how about the other great Western/Samurai film plot device - vengeance! Yes! "You killed my brother: prepare to die," etc, etc.

And just as religion plays no part in this world, so the Rokari wizards are above all this squabbling and violence, their minds on higher things such as protecting the peasantry from the pernicious evils of wealth and idleness. They know that to rule is to get involved too much with 'life' and by implication 'death', so they remain above it.

In keeping with the Samurai metaphor, let us suppose that it is also true that a lordless knight (or 'Ronin') is universally despised or suspect. It is these people who are going to be Heroquesting, searching for meaning in their lives, and most likely ending up in Ralios or Nolos, where Duke Ariston is happily recruiting whoever turns up looking for work. I tend to see Pasos and Nolos as Genoa and the Latin Duchy of Achea (circa. AD 1280) with Handra (of course) as Venice. The Trader Princes along the coast of Maniria tend to grip my imagination as petty lordlings of the Latin Empire and Outremer, fiercely independent but inextricably tied to the fortunes of trade.

In a leap of logic, I then considered Richard the Tigerhearted as an unsubtle pastiche of the Richard I legend - maybe he isn't dead, but imprisoned in a castle somewhere only to be found by his faithful jongleur! And then I think, what do the people back in Tanisor think of all this? I imagine as the tattered survivors return from the ill fated Malkonwal expedition they tell of noble deeds of chivalry between Richard and Fazzur Wideread (read Saladin here) complete with forked beard, pointy slippers and scimitar. You know, the old breaking an anvil, slicing a silk scarf story. I'm captivated by this Western view of the Lunar Empire as Islam, worshipping demons and a terrible perveted version of the Creator! Given that as knights they will meet tactically in combat (and therefore have a warped understanding of how the Red Army works) the Lunar equivalent, Carmanian hazars, and draw perhaps more similarities than are warranted.

Hrestoli Symbolism

I've not much more to add about Hrestoli idealism as this seems to be pretty consistant. I do see however that the symbol as perhaps becoming more important than the individual, where the ritual takes over from its participants. Thus bad Loskalmi lords only send their insignia or their 'symbols' to the seasonal/religious ceremonies.

I'm not sure about the sending of young Loskalmi to 'farming school'. Surely this may be true among the knightly class, but in any idealised feudal state the sons of the landed classes will spend their early years on the families' own demesne lands learning 'theory' rather than practice. Thus a young lordling is considered to have mastered the arts of farming not by ploughing a straight furrow, but by bringing in a bumper yield at harvest time through performing the sacred duties particularly well - "Well father, I realised that if we divided the fields and rotated the progression of crops we'd be following the teachings of Hrestol. And sure enough Malkion blessed our harvest!" Being sent out to a distant and poorly performing manor is pretty character building!

Asgolan Fields

No wonder the Knights of the Castle Coast are hopping mad, if Bailifes beat them at the Asgolan Fields through treachery! I can't imagine anything worse than them living with the grudge that it wasn't a fair and chivalrous fight.

Monasteries

I'm sure that Monasteries do follow the strict Logical Laws of Malkion, but bear in mind that in most cases they are using God Learner Translations which are going to be corrupt versions anyway (though the monks don't nessarily either know or believe that). So while they all eventually die, most monks do live to a venerable old age, unless lured into forbidden experiments by the subtle lies of Wakibophiles and his countless minions.