Godparents in Zalanthas: Yea or Nea?

[Sam]

There is also the Kuraci Sand Father/Parent/Mother concept.
That is basically godparenting.

[RogueGunslinger]

"Oy, this is the feck who fed me when me mums tit ran dry."

[Reiloth]

There is also the Kuraci Sand Father/Parent/Mother concept.
That is basically godparenting.

[Cindy42]

for some reason i'm thinking of the mafia godfather, and i think that sort of RL idea would do great in the 'rinth.

if you're thinking of something different, i'm not really sure. for disadvantaged groups or people whose families are dead, sure. all you'd need is for one person to be significantly older than the other and have the correct parently disposition. in a world like zalanthas this might happen everywhere, and might already be implemented.

[zeia]

-snickers- Should have fairy god parets [tee hee]

[Reiteration]

Would 'Minder' be a more fitting term?

[Marauder Moe]

Does it really need a term?  We only have one because in our culture it's a somewhat formal arrangement.  For Zalanthan commoners it would not be.

[My 2 sids]

Does it really need a term?  We only have one because in our culture it's a somewhat formal arrangement.  For Zalanthan commoners it would not be.

They still have a society, and so having a term for the relationship would form.   Although, I can see how 'godparent' wouldn't be fitting with the game.

[Reiteration]

If anything, the commoner relationship between ward and 'godfather' would most probably be slave and master respectively. Nothing comes for free, not even a godfather.

[Marauder Moe]

Does it really need a term?  We only have one because in our culture it's a somewhat formal arrangement.  For Zalanthan commoners it would not be.

They still have a society, and so having a term for the relationship would form.   Although, I can see how 'godparent' wouldn't be fitting with the game.

I disagree.  My mom used to be a social worker of sorts, and she was telling me about how communal raising of children is fairly common in some demographics of America.  It's a given that orphaned (by death or by prison or other circumstances) children get taken in by aunts, uncles, or even close neighbors.  They're not called "godparents", though, or even adopted parents.  The kids simply say they went to live with their aunt/uncle/grandparents/neighbors or whatever.  No formality, no term, it's just simply the way things are.

EDIT: to go a little further into linguistic philosophy... words don't exist simply because the thing they mean exists.  They exist because people want to discuss the thing that they mean.

That said, I'm not opposed to a Zalanthan term for godparents... but I'd rather think that there's no term rather than us using a bad one that doesn't fit well into the game.

[Marshmellow]

There are societies that have this documented.  Outside of that, there are more communal style families than the nuclear family that we in the western world are used to.  There's already someone there to watch the child in the event of the actual parents' deaths.

[catchall]

I agree that any such arrangement or term should arise naturally in-game, though the known complications and impracticality of PC parenting mean that we probably won't see this facet of life roleplayed in as much detail as others.

I think it's interesting, though, to consider a function of godparentship, common in many Latin American regions, compadrazgo.  Often, people from rural communities who have found employment in cities are formally named compadres of children in the community.  This formal tie at a distance is distinct from the daily reality that if a kid is abandoned, other kin ought to step in and care for them.  The comadre/compadre in question may not be equipped to care for the child on a day-to-day basis, but by providing financial support, the child's welfare is safeguarded and the compadre maintains strong ties to their community, which could be important if their fortunes turn in the city.

I think this is interesting when thinking about Arm, because the PC population understandably  overrepresent precisely those individuals who have set out from their humble beginnings and made a richer life for themselves.  So, if any commoner at all in Zalanthas is going to be involved in some semi-formal arrangement of ritual kinship, it's most likely commoner PCs and their VNPC relatives.

[valeria]

But... but.... all PCs are orphans...

But no really, I like the analogy.