(urth) Questions about BNS

[Roy C. Lackey]

Welcome, Eric!

Search the archives for "Piteous Gate" for past discussions of the incident.

As several others have said, the fiery apparition witnessed by Severian and
Dorcas in Book I is indeed the "miracle" of the rising, burning tent
cathedral of the Pelerines mentioned by the lady vendor in Saltus in Book
II.

Eric Ortlund wrote:
>>5) One more and I'll stop - when Severian nearly drowns in the Gyoll
near the beginning of Shadow, he sees a woman's face; later, during his
dream while he's sleeping next to Baldanders, the brides of Abia hint
that they came to see him at the Gyoll - so that's who he sees.<<

More specifically, the huge face he sees is that of Juturna. See Book V,
Chapter XLIII.

>> Two
questions: who is the woman crying that he hears - Thecla? <<

As Andrew has also suggested, I believe the woman was his mother.

>>  Also, when
his friends pull him out, he says that he saw the dead Malrubius - and a
boatman asks if Malrubius is a woman.  I know this is really small, but,
like I said, no detail is insignificant; why would the boatman say this?
Is there anything here? <<

I believe that Robert Borski was the first to suggest that the boatman
is/was Dorcas' husband. I know of no better explanation.

-Roy