Submitted by Jeff on Fri, 20/04/2012 – 08:29
People tend to underestimate the extent to which cults “travel”. In Glorantha, the god Orlanth can be found from Prax to the outskirts of Loskalm, and even on the southern continent of Pamaltela. In the forthcoming Guide to Glorantha, the cult is referred as that of “Orlanth” even if the locals call it something entirely different.
But rather than talk about Gloranthan cults, I’d like to just show the movement of one god we probably all know as he traveled from Greece to Japan.
Heracles was perhaps the most popular hero god of the Greeks. In the Greek colonies in Bactria and India, the club wielding lion killer, Heracles became Vajrapani a protector of Buddha. Still recognizable as a bearded Greek with a weird club-thingee (which became the diamond thunderbolt).
From there he traveled a bit further. In Tibet he took on a few more features:
But Heracles’ journeys weren’t over! He kept going east, into China where he became the patron of the Shaolin monastery(!):
And Heracles’ journeys kept going until he reached Japan, where he split into two muscular guardians of the Buddha known as Kongōrikishi and Nio. You can still find Heracles today guarding the Buddha in Japan.

Submitted by Rungard on Mon, 23/04/2012 – 17:20.What are your sources for this? Sounds interesting.
Related Pages
- A Sense of Scale (2011)
- Art and Culture and a Fantasy World (2012)
- Art Direction for Cover of the Guide (2012)
- Bearded Storm and Hagodereth, and Wyters (2011)
- Characters from Sartar Games
- Coins of Glorantha Part 1
- Coins of Glorantha Part 2
- Coming Soon Sartar Companion
- Concept Art Sartar Kingdom Heroes
- Convention Chimériades 2009
- Convention Schedule 2012
- Dad How Good Am I
- Dara Happan Depictions of the Orlanthi Gods
- Detailing Glorantha
- Draft Character Sheets for Sartar
- Draft Clan Profile Sheets for Sartar
- East Wilds And Dragon Pass
- Genertela at the Dawn
- Glorantha Convention Calendar 2010
- Glorantha Maps
- Gloranthan Wiki
- Going to London Dragonmeet?
- Greater Lunar Empire
- Guide text Finished
- Hearts in Glorantha
- Heortling Mythology goes to the printers
- Heroquest and Glorantha at Eternal Con 2010
- Historical Atlas Glorantha, Part III
- Historical Atlas Glorantha, Part IV (2011)
- Historical Atlas of Genertela, Part II
- King of Dragon Pass Available
- Late Golden Age (2012)
- Loskalm Art Direction
- Making a Lunar Empire Map for the Guide
- Malkioni Sorcery
- Much on my Plate
- New Book New Family Member
- New Myth of the Month – Moveable Ephemeris And Gloranthan Sky
- Quick Summary of Gloranthan Cultures: Part 1, Orlanthi Dragon Pass And the Holy Country
- Quick Summary of Gloranthan Cultures: Part 2, Westerners
- Quick Summary of Gloranthan Cultures: Part 3
- Ropecon 2011
- Ropecon 2011 Heroes And More
- Route to Battle Valley
- Sartar Coming Soon
- Sartar Companion Preview
- Sartar Cover
- Sartar Here
- Sartar Kingdom Heroes Available at Dragonmeet, London
- Seshnela Art Direction
- Seven Fantasy Must Reads
- Sizing Art for Moon Design products
- Some Fronelan Population And Cultural Details
- Theyalan Art Direction
- What Moon Design is Working on Right Now
- Xeotam Dialogues (2012)
- Yolp Mountains (2011)