(urth) flying ship

[Tony Ellis]

Jeff Wilson wrote:
>However, a symbol has to be recognized and properly identified in order
>to convey the intended meaning. I suppose the symbolism could be
>intended solely for the reader and have no valid context in the
>fictional setting but I think most of his readers would agree Wolfe is a
>bit more careful than that.


The symbolism does have a valid context in the fictional setting.
Severian, a character in the fiction, has chosen these symbols. The
fact that other people won't recognise the meaning of one of them is
irrelevant. He's under no obligation to create a coat of arms that
makes sense to anyone but himself.