(urth) Eyes of Thecla

[mournings glory]

> >Isn't it implicit in URTH that Gunnie is actually Hethor's imaginary
> >girlfriend? Her eyes are described "as large, as dark and as soft as any
> >cow's," which doesn't necessarily rule out a darker shade of violet. 
>Ditto
> >for her real name -- Burgundafora -- I've always associated burgundy with 
>a
> >sort of wine-dark red shading into purple.

>That's very interesting. I've never heard that before, and it never 
>occurred
>to me. Or are you equating Hethor with Purn? Care to elaborate?

I believe it was Mr. Andre-Driussi who argued earlier that Hethor and Purn 
might be younger and older versions of the same individual. (I've given up 
ever trying to find anything in the archives.)

1) Purn wonders if Lune is "big and white" -- which may mean he crewed 
aboard the Quasar before the moon was forested, possibly making him a 
contemporary of Jonas.

2) Purn is present when Severian compares the beast-summoning sails of the 
Quasar to mirrors and notes the parallel with Hethor, perhaps planting the 
suggestion in Purn.

3) Purn utters at least one Wellerism ("That's what makes the ship go, as 
the skipper said when they asked about the wench") --something Hethor does 
with even more frequency.

4) When asked why he's attempted to kill him, Purn, in talking about his 
would-be relationship with Gunnie, tells Severian that "I'd been hoping 
she'd kiss me." If Burgundafora's eyes are indeed violet or dark blue, this 
might link her to Hethor's paracoita.

5) The name 'Purn' itself is a bit of a mystery -- it's neither saintly nor 
mythic, but I suspect it may be either anglicized Korean or Chinese (I've 
queried a number of people and forums, but have yet to receive confirmation 
or rejection) --which may link him to the pan-Asian spacefarers of the First 
Empire.

6) A much younger, saner version of Hethor might be more difficult for 
Severian to recognize, who's not particularly adept at these sorts of things 
anyway.

Em Ess Gee