"The Orlanthi pantheon offers many different role-models for men and women to follow which
are not regarded as normal, but are regarded as acceptable. Vinga is an alternative role-model for
women. Vinga is the daughter of Orlanth and Ernalda. She is the deity commonly called upon by all
women when they are attacked by men. A specialised sub-cult of the deity is the warrior-woman caste,
whose worshippers dye their hair red, and take Vinga as their role-model of the perfect warrior.
In return Vinga provides powerful combat magics. Kallyr Starbrow is a worshipper of Vinga."
King of Sartar
p53:
"Vinga: Goddess of women adventurers. Worshippers dye their hair red."
p69:
"what happens when you die...the soul departs...through one of the hundred doors at the rear of the
Courts of Silence...the Red-Headed Lodge, when [sic] the Vingan Women go who have served their goddess
properly"
p90:
"Heort... his mother was.. a Vingan Woman and a Red Woman."
p154: (at the start of Kallyr's reign)
"Every childless widow among the Kheldon tribe dyed her hair red that winter."
p169, Argrath's Companions:
"Fighting:...Natalina, the Vingasdotter."
p212: Events of my life - Minaryth Blue
"1614 - Inganna dyes her hair red and goes on Venderi adventure. I am jealous of her Vingan weapons."
p253:
Clan councils, Lightbringer council. Seven places, of which 5 are predetermined: Orlanth, Issaries,
Lhankor Mhy, Chalana Arroy, Eurmal. Extra two vary, but often clan ancestor and Vinga the Adventuress.
The RuneQuest-Con Compendium
"Vinga and the Cloak of Snakes" by Alison Place.
Tells of Vinga's acceptance as a warrior after rescuing her brother Barntar from Ragnaglar (by borrowing
her mother Ernalda's power over snakes).
To read the full version, click here.
RuneQuest Adventures #4
gives a description of the Vingans in Whitewall during the siege. To precis, they regard themselves
as a separate clan, and put to death any man who witnesses their rituals. Many are also followers of
Babeester Gor.
Dorastor
The Vinga place on the clan council of the Renekoti, in the Risklands, is taken by Berra Thengan: a
male Wind Lord!
Greg at Convulsion '94 Lore Auction.
AM: What's the cult of Vinga, and more specifically, how does it differ from other Orlanthi warrior
cults?
GS: Not greatly. The cult of Orlanth Adventuress. The cult of Vinga is a woman's analogue of the
Orlanthi Adventurous cult. With the Orlanthi, all men are warriors and all women are housekeepers.
But all means 85%. So where does this other 15% get their support? Vinga is the woman's warrior
cult. It's really like a subcult of Orlanth, or even of Orlanth Adventurous. They classically dye
their hair red. That's because Vinga, who is not a goddess and really not the physical daughter of
Orlanth -- she was a Heortling hero who went off -- she had red hair, so they all dye their hair red.
In King of Sartar, it's mentioned somewhere that her children were murdered and she dyed her hair red.
This is a code word. It means she gave up her life and became a warrior.
Glorantha Digest
v01n095:
From: David Dunham (via RadioMail) Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 21:48:35 -0800
Subject: Vinga; Dara Happan fire
In the lore auction at RQ-Con 2, I asked Greg about Vinga. He said her parents are either Orlanth
and Ernalda, or some Heortling couple. She had no special role before becoming the goddess of adventure.
v02n175
From: David Hall <100116.2616@compuserve.com>
Date: 24 Oct 95 16:10:53 EDT
Subject: Orlanth in Sartar
The main Orlanthi temple in Boldhome is on Thunderous Ridge above Sartar's Palace. There are a
couple of buildings near the main worship site and two paths leading to it. Almost all Orlanthi holy
sites are open to the wind.
....
There's also a temple to Orlanth Adventuress at the edge of the West Pocket according to the old
maps. This is the origin of the creation of Vinga by Greg.
"Harmast Saga" (unpublished):
"Stop this!" screeched a voice. It was so sharp it pierced Harmast's illness. The entire clearing froze
from the command. One of the Vingan women was there, fiery eyed and snarling. Her javelin was poised,
and at this range even Big Dick [a Storm Bull] could not dodge it. A crackling noise from it betrayed
its magic. The huge man, still on his knees, froze."
Enclosure: The Saga of the Vingkotlings pp17-20
The Tribes of the Vingkotlings
"With his Winter Wife, Vingkot had.... daughters... were... Redaylda (who married Bereneth the Rider).
Their descendant were the Winter Tribes. They were... the Berennethelli of Upper Saird. (Footnote:
some scholars have noticed the similarity between Redaylde and Reladiva the goddess of Saird, and have
drawn an association between Berenth the Rider and the ancient Hyalorings of Saird. These scholars
speculate that Bereneth was a Hyaloring king.)"
The Winter Husbands
"Bereneth the Rider, husband of Redaylda Winter. They founded the Berennethtelli tribe. All of their
daughters were the Red Headed Women."
The Saga of House Vinga
This is a collection of the tales of the women warriors of the Vingkotlings. They span many generations.
The most famous of these stories is that of Tenostere of the Vestenes. In her saga, she is proclaimed
"the Fightin'est Woman" after she defeated every male challenger in the land. She died with King
Rastagar at the Last Royal Betrayal.
The stories of the Red-Headed Lodge of the Berennethtelli are included in the saga of House
Vinga."
Private email from Greg, passed on to me
Greg Stafford wrote:
At 12:40 PM 6/10/98 +0200, you wrote:
>>Hi Greg !
>>Are Elmal and Vinga husband and wife? If so, how did they marry?
No.
-g