(urth) TWK: The Aelf dilemma

[thalassocrat at nym.hush.com]

On Sun, 04 Dec 2005 23:59:55 -0800 "Roy C. Lackey" 
<rclackey at stic.net> wrote:
>Given that the Aelf are not spiritually immortal, they have no 
>hope of
>eternal reward (still less the denizens of Muspel). So why the 
>hell should
>they worship humans -- or anyone or anything else? If there's no 
>"pie in the
>sky when they die", where's the payoff for whatever passes as 
>righteous
>living for an Aelf?

Humans have at least some God-like powers with respect to the Aelf. 
For example: Toug's healing of <whichever one it was>. They can 
also be "supernaturally" powerful warriors in Aelfrice - why else 
would Garsecg & the Aelf groom Able for the role of champion? 

In fact, I suspect that humans are probably God-like to the Aelf in 
pretty much the same way that Overcyn are God-like to humans. 

The God-like powers we see in action as far as I can recall are:

- Healing. Toug => Baki (?); Able-as-Overcyn => a bunch of people 
at the end of Wizard.

- Summoning. Able => Aelf (I think this is a human power of Able's, 
given Micahel's comments at their first meeting); Michael => 
Valfather; Loki => eastern dragon warriors (maybe).

- Weather stuff: Able-as-Overcyn in Mythgathr; can humans do the 
same kind of thing in Aelfrice?

- Promotion: Valfather etc => human heroes; I believe this is 
paralleled by Able => Dsiri

The last surely indicates that Aelf are not eternally & necessarily 
soul-less. That would go against all of my understanding of Wolfe's 
metaphysics. With "divine" assistance, all creation can rise 
through the spheres and meet the One True God. We certainly have 
multiple indications that Able expects this for himself, and I 
believe the ending of Wizard is intended to indicate that it will 
happen - for Dsiri as well, despite her lower origins. 

As always with Wolfe, Love is the force which propels and drags 
everything higher.