Editing Glorantha (section)

===Early development (1960s–1970s)===
Glorantha's origins lie in experiments with mythology, storytelling, recreation, and the blending of ancient societies.  It is unlike its contemporary, ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' which has its roots in [[wargaming]].

Stafford's first imaginings of Glorantha date back to 1966, when he began his studies at [[Beloit College]], as a vehicle for him to deepen his own understanding of mythology by creating his own mythology. Stafford was greatly influenced by the ideas on the mythology of [[Joseph Campbell]], and echoes of Campbell's work are to be found in many aspects of Glorantha; for instance, the story of the "God Learners" can be seen as an exercise on the implications of Campbell's idea of a unifying [[monomyth]], and the story of Prince Argrath an exploration of Campbell's ''[[The Hero with a Thousand Faces]]'' (1949).  More abstractly, Campbell's idea that myths are how we shape our lives deeply informs the picture of life in Glorantha throughout the game world's publication history.

The first game set in Glorantha was the [[board game]] ''[[White Bear and Red Moon]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stafford |first1=Greg |title=White Bear and Red Moon |date=1976 |publisher=The Chaosium |location=Albany, California, USA |edition=1st}}</ref> The game details a time of constant war between the land of Sartar and the Lunar Empire during the reign of Argrath Dragontooth. Its board details an area called Dragon Pass, while the rulebook provides details of the warring factions, their lands, and leaders. In addition, it provides a large-scale map titled the Greater Lunar Empire, showing a larger world in which Dragon Pass is placed. The ''White Bear and Red Moon'' does not disclose the name of the world.

''[[Nomad Gods]]'', a second board game, published by Chaosium in 1978, and based on the raids and wars between the beast-riding, spirit-worshiping tribes of Prax, a cursed land located east of Dragon Pass. It also did not mention the world by name.

In 1978, after the publication of ''Nomad Gods'', and prior to the publication of [[RuneQuest]], the name Glorantha appeared in print for the first time. ''[[Wyrm's Footnotes]]'' #4 contained three articles on Glorantha and a map of the world itself.