Skip to content
The Well of Daliath
Menu
Menu

Fun in the Sun 1: In search of inspiration (2011)

Dan Barker Sat, 04/06/2011 – 07:56

I just got back from the British Museum’s rather lovely (though terribly small) Omani jewellry exhibit (open ’til September, so go see it and the awesome Afghani exhibit they have currently. You won’t regret either).

An impulse decision paid off in lots of ideas for art.

Well, OK maybe not art yet, but it got my mind ticking, and ideas I’d written about last week were there in all their glory.

For instance,here is a a traditional hairpiece worn by a commoner invoking Natha. The petitioner would wear their own hair up, in a bun, and this would be pinned in place in the back, with the silver medallions above the forehead.

Nathaite hairpiece

It would be pulled over the left shoulder so the knot would be seen clearly.
This example is made of hemp, jute or wool, though human hair is also used occasionally. To be honest the material is of secondary importance to the plait used and the knot tied, and it is most often done in cheap materials due to its’ nature.

Traditionally, if you have an issue you wished resolved, you would either make one yourself or have an artisan make it for you. Once worn it is burnt in an offering to Natha for her intercession. Human hair versions are only used in this way when blood atonement is required.

The other use of such hairpieces is by Nathaite priestesses in their role as judges of disputes. They tend to wear this with more silverwork, and with the braid worn down their backs as the knot doesn’t have the same significance.

One thing I found odd, was that all examples of silver work at the exhibition were from the 1950s. The reason, I found out, was very Lunar: what is handed down is the silver not the jewellry. When the woman receives the heirlooms, she will immediately melt it down to make it anew. The designs are mostly traditional, but the wearer will ask for details that represent her own path through life, so only its’ material is valued. The silver is given to her on her reaching adulthood. It is recast on her getting married and again on her Sevening. It becomes a record of her life. Mostly this is done in the form of bracelets and anklets, but occasionally she may (in the case of her Sevening) be make them into something else…

I’ve already said that women of the Empire like to have elaborate hairdoes, particularly braiding. The Goddess herself had her braid wound 7 times around her head when she embarked on her godquest. We also see what often looks like a diadem or tiara in the plates. Among the peoples of Northern Peloria girls on reaching adulthood are given six hair ornaments, to tie into their braids. These represent celestial bodies that have been selected to look over her. Over time she may add to these as she gains other celestial patrons.

A newer version of this tradition is now found within Glamour, where the girl is given the 6 celestial guardians but on Sevening, the woman should add a new (and final) star to her array.

I’ll finish with this picture of a Pelorian or Tarshite Ernaldan. It’s to give an idea of what I think Ernaldans wear, but also items commonly worn by Uz.

I’ll go into this more in Fun in the Sun 2: Troll daywear.


Submitted by danm (not verified) on Mon, 06/06/2011 – 19:01.

a female out by day! HERETIC!

at the very least she’d have a MUCH bigger hat… and a tent, and, well, something else to do until blessed night came to shield her sacred skin from foul light…

on the other hand, the prosthetic dugs would certainly be something commonly worn by those not gifted with the proper six from birth (or those dissatisfied with the opulence of those they do have) Giving one’s son a nipple of bronze might well be a way to inspire ferocity and energy without sacrificing the sacred milk needed to raise strong and fertile girls. Best to get the boys used to sacrifice and deprivation from the start, to teach them their place and promote self-reliance and the instinct to provide rather than consume.

(can’t wait to hear your ideas!)


Related Pages

  • Bright Eater And Traitor Son (2011)
  • Fun in the Sun 2: Day Wear for Uz (2011)
  • Fun in the Sun 3: Re-appropriation of Costume (2011)
  • Mayfly Dancers And Butterfly Wars (2011)
  • Random Yelping! (2011)
  • What is it with bald Lunar women? (2011)

Dan Barker (artist)

Page Last updated: 2025-01-03 13:47:27

Sections

  • Search Tips
  • Current RuneQuest Glorantha Publications
  • RuneQuest Glorantha Corrections and Q&A
  • Catalogue
  • References for Glorantha
    • Gloranthan Canon
  • Gloranthan Documents
  • RPG Systems & Versions
  • Gallery
  • About This Site
  • Get involved!

Latest Posts

  • Sartar Cities

    Sartar can be thought of a confederation of small cities …
  • Catalogue of the Gods revisited

    This piece from the Mythology book is among my absolute …
  • Thunderbolts in Art

    One of the things that really got me down the …
  • RuneQuest Art

    So let’s talk RQ art for a moment. For the …
  • Top Five RuneQuest Cults

    So it is absolutely no surprise to me that in …
  • The Greatest of the Power Rune gods

    So lets think about the greatest of the Power Rune …
  • A Few Notes on the Air Gods

    Any time you look at those big abstract Celestial Court …
  • RuneQuest Campaign Heroquesting

    So while I am on this whole “through a heroquest …
  • How The God Learners Learned About The Gods

    So we know that the God Learners assembled the monomyth …

Links

  • Chaosium
  • Chaosium’s RuneQuest RPG Wiki
  • Glorantha on BRP Central
  • RuneQuest on BRP Central
  • RuneQuest on Discord
  • Prince of Sartar Webcomic
  • Glorantha G+ Archives on Tapatalk
  • Search mailing list archive

Latest from BRP Central

Popular Tags

Boldhome (large city) Chaosium Colymar (Sartar tribe) Contents Cult demographics Cults of Runequest (preview) Ernalda Esrolia (homeland) FRA Furthest (large city) G+ post Gods Wall Greg Stafford Guide to Glorantha (preview) Humakt Jar-eel Lunar Empire Lunar Pantheon Magazine Malkioni pantheon Map Michael O’Brien Mongoose MRQ1 New Pavis (small city) Old Glorantha Q&A Orlanth Orlanthi pantheon Photo reference Population demographics Prax (homeland) RQ3 RQG Rune Magic Sandy Petersen Sartar (homeland) Spirit Cult Star Subcult Tarsh (homeland & Lunar province) Troll Pantheon Yelm Yelmalio Yelm Pantheon Youtube

Recently added or updated

  • East Isles Pantheon

  • Gods Wall

  • Himile

  • CHA4013 Griffin Mountain (1981, 2018)

  • Helpwoman

  • Henshie

  • Harana Ilor

  • Hesezjagu

  • Majadan

  • Antigods

  • Hensarava the Golden Archer Prince

  • HeenMaroun

  • Harantara

  • Halisayan

  • Govmeranen

  • Godunya

  • Genderatha

  • Gebkeran

  • Sartar Cities

  • Guide Interview – Greg Stafford (2012)

©2025 The Well of Daliath | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme