Somewhat Off Topic - Christmas

[Kenneth Gauck]

Easter is timed when it is because of Passover, the Jewish festival
recalling the Jews flight from Andu, er, I mean Egypt.

The Christmas tree was a 19th century revival of Christmas practice in
Germany which caught on in some parts of Europe but not all.

The two major pagan festivals that Christians co-opted for their winter
holiday, were the yuletide, the Nordic festival to bring back daylight, and
the Saturnalia, a feasting, gift-giving holiday, with role reversal thrown
in.

Holidays are good things to take advantage of. They can make a campaign
world look vital and alive (rather than as hollywood set), and they can
impose some obligations on players. "Well your priest-regent of Neserie
can't miss the Feast of the Dead, it would be a blow to your church. Who
else can lead the prayer of morning?"

Consider the three wise men who came to visit the infant Haelyn when the
first Lord of the house of Andu had a son. The Rjurik druid, Caspar, who
presented the prince with an herbal ointment, the Kinasi mage, Balthasar,
who presented him with a prized Khinasi incence, and the Brecht astronomer,
Melchior, who brought gold.

Later tradition was to hold that this was the first tribute to the Anurian
Empire, but at the time is was something else. Mechior noticed a new star
in the heavens and contacted his fellow learned men, Caspar and Balthasar.
They followed the star to the boy-prince. Needless to say this kind of
thing irriated, the boy's half brother, Raesene.

Kenneth Gauck
c558382@earthlink.net

- -----Original Message-----
From: Tim Nutting
To: birthright@MPGN.COM
Date: Saturday, November 21, 1998 3:35 AM
Subject: Re: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Completely Off Topic - Dragonlance question


>> They celebrate the Winter Solstace...
>>
>Actually that's why the Church of our world celebrates Christmas during the
>winter season. Even though the best guesses place the actual birth
somewhere
>in the summertime, the early Church chose a pagan festival, namely the
Winter
>Solstice, and began celebrating their own festival in a very crafty attempt
to
>lure more worshipers.
>
>I am given to understand that this is why Easter is near the Vernal Equinox
(is
>that the right one?), and why the Christmas tree is so integrated into the
>whole Christian scenario, even though the evergreen was another pagan
symbol
>and holy item from the Celtic and Germanic tribes (I think I've got the
names
>right).
>
>Tim the part-time, when it suits me, historian. :)
>
>************************************************** *************************
>>'unsubscribe birthright' as the body of the message.
>

[MANTA]

- ----------
> Consider the three wise men who came to visit the infant Haelyn when the
> first Lord of the house of Andu had a son. The Rjurik druid, Caspar, who
> presented the prince with an herbal ointment, the Kinasi mage, Balthasar,
> who presented him with a prized Khinasi incence, and the Brecht
astronomer,
> Melchior, who brought gold.
>

Remember they couldn´t come riding camels as there are no camels in
Cerilia.
;-))

It´s nice to hear the experts (I´m refering to the rest of the post of
course).
Thank you all for answering my seemingly senseless question.
I mean it!

MANTA
ip209007@ip.pt
ICQ: 17080887

[Kenneth Gauck]

Although many of his followers hoped Jesus would be lead a revolt against
Rome. Many Jews considered the Messiah a warrior type. Champion of his
people...

- -----Original Message-----
From: Elton Robb
To: birthright@MPGN.COM
Date: Sunday, November 22, 1998 7:13 PM
Subject: Re: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Somewhat Off Topic - Christmas

>Both became gods. Christ became a god at his ressurrection and after his
>report to his Father. Haelyn became a god by Championing for Andurias, and
>thus asborbing the most of his power. However, their roles are different:
>Christ is a dispenser of Mercy and Justice, while Haelyn's sphere is War.
>
>— Elton Robb

[Elton Robb]

- -----Original Message-----
From: Kenneth Gauck
To: birthright@MPGN.COM
Date: Saturday, November 21, 1998 1:32 PM
Subject: Re: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Somewhat Off Topic - Christmas


>Easter is timed when it is because of Passover, the Jewish festival
>recalling the Jews flight from Andu, er, I mean Egypt.
>
>The Christmas tree was a 19th century revival of Christmas practice in
>Germany which caught on in some parts of Europe but not all.
>
>The two major pagan festivals that Christians co-opted for their winter
>holiday, were the yuletide, the Nordic festival to bring back daylight, and
>the Saturnalia, a feasting, gift-giving holiday, with role reversal thrown
>in.
>
>Holidays are good things to take advantage of. They can make a campaign
>world look vital and alive (rather than as hollywood set), and they can
>impose some obligations on players. "Well your priest-regent of Neserie
>can't miss the Feast of the Dead, it would be a blow to your church. Who
>else can lead the prayer of morning?"
>
>Consider the three wise men who came to visit the infant Haelyn when the
>first Lord of the house of Andu had a son. The Rjurik druid, Caspar, who
>presented the prince with an herbal ointment, the Kinasi mage, Balthasar,
>who presented him with a prized Khinasi incence, and the Brecht astronomer,
>Melchior, who brought gold.
>
>Later tradition was to hold that this was the first tribute to the Anurian
>Empire, but at the time is was something else. Mechior noticed a new star
>in the heavens and contacted his fellow learned men, Caspar and Balthasar.
>They followed the star to the boy-prince. Needless to say this kind of
>thing irriated, the boy's half brother, Raesene.


Ah, I get it. Haelyn is a type for Christ. Both were born in humble
circumstances; a star in the heavens announced their birth, and both were
visited by wise men. Mechior is Melchior, the Persian Jew in the retinue,
Balthasar is Balthazar, the Ethiopian? in the group, and Casper is the other
one ( I forget his name at the moment) who might have represented the
British druids (he could have been Greek. Anyway, Saint Matthew records
that they came out of the east).

Both became gods. Christ became a god at his ressurrection and after his
report to his Father. Haelyn became a god by Championing for Andurias, and
thus asborbing the most of his power. However, their roles are different:
Christ is a dispenser of Mercy and Justice, while Haelyn's sphere is War.

— Elton Robb

[Elton Robb]

Although many of his followers hoped Jesus would be lead a revolt against
Rome. Many Jews considered the Messiah a warrior type. Champion of his
people...

And that time is not to far distant. His physical mission is the one that
you just described.

— Elton Robb

- -----Original Message-----
From: Elton Robb
To: birthright@MPGN.COM
Date: Sunday, November 22, 1998 7:13 PM
Subject: Re: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Somewhat Off Topic - Christmas

>Both became gods. Christ became a god at his ressurrection and after his
>report to his Father. Haelyn became a god by Championing for Andurias, and
>thus asborbing the most of his power. However, their roles are different:
>Christ is a dispenser of Mercy and Justice, while Haelyn's sphere is War.
>
>— Elton Robb

'unsubscribe birthright' as the body of the message.