The Maurai are pagan. One refers to "Shark-toothed Nan" and another to "...ancestors..." (2) The latter, Ruori, also thinks of a "Bispo" (Bishop) as a high priest, is unsure how to address him and does not understand the word "immodest." But Ruori is educated enough to recognize that the deity "Esu Carito" of whom the Bispo is a high priest is "...cognate with the Maurai Lesu Haristi." (3)
The Meycan city visited by the Maurai and attacked by the Sky People is Christian. It has a cathedral with a statue of "S'Ose" (?) and a bishop who refers to "...el Dio's punishment...". (3) A young woman crosses herself when the Bispo refers to "...judgment..." (3)
The unmarried young women of the city are chaperoned whereas the Maurai have brought "wahines" and Ruori would like to make love to his host's daughter on first acquaintance.
There will be more but this is considerable information to gain from the opening pages.
Addendum, 2/7/12: Near the end of this first story, Ruori invokes "...great creating Tanaroa...," the remaining member of the Maurai trinity. (4)
(1) Anderson, Poul, "The Sky People" IN Anderson, P, Maurai And Kith, New York, 1982, pp. 9-71 AT p. 12.
(2) ibid., p. 14.
(3) ibid., p. 16.
(4) ibid., p. 69.
7 comments:
Hi, Paul!
Yes, the Meycans whom Ruori visited and helped to save from destruction by the "sky people" were declining. But the story ends with Ruori suggesting how, if the Meycans accept an alliance with the Maurai, they can learn not only better ways of defending themselves from barbarian attacks, but also to reverse their decline. Ruori also suggested that sending Christian missionaries to the barbarians would begin the slow, gradual process of turning them from predator beasts into friends. Of course, the Maurai would be assisting the Meycans in order to help prevent the barbarians from losing the tentative beginnings of a society using the scientific methods they had rediscovered. Methods needed to help rebuild civilization.
Sean
Thanks for comments. I have just spotted another detail of Sky People belief and added it to the 1st para above. It is difficult to summarise all the info that PA condenses into a few lines.
S'Ose = St Joseph? Ruori, of course, thinks S'Ose is a god.
Hi, Paul!
Yes, I noticed that. My thought was the church was dedicated to the saint whose name Spanish speakers today would call "San Jose." "s'Ose" would be an example of how languages might change over the centuries.
And I also noticed the new detail you mentioned.
Sean
One last link in The Maurai pantheon appears near the end of the story. See Addendum.
Hi, Paul!
I saw how you quoted "...great creating Tanaroa." It does make me wonder what the Maurai religion was like: a perhaps warped form of Christianity or flat out paganism? The Maurai worshiped Tanaroa, sharked toothed Nan, and "Lesu Haristi." The latter obviously derived from "Jesus Christ."
If "Tanaroa" simply meant "all Father" or "Creator of All," that would fit easly enough into orthodox Christianity alongside "Lesu Haristi." Paganism seems to have entered Maurai religion with the loss of the Holy Spirit and Nan being worshiped in His place. We do see fairly orthodox Christians in the Maurai timeline in ORION SHALL RISE.
Sean
I am working my way through the Maurai history so there will be a little bit more to say about this. Christians in ORION SHALL RISE? Another book I have read only once a long time ago but it is on my list for after the original Maurai trilogy. There is some sort of new philosophy in there as well which I will have to look at.
Post a Comment