(urth) Abaia and the undines

[Dave Tallman]

David Stockhoff wrote:

> Although I still don't understand the corpse in the tomb where Severian
> played. And now that I understand that he did not move into a new body on
> the starsailship but was recreated by Tzadkiel, I don't understand why his
> face was changed when he returned from Yesod. Valeria recognized him for the
> first time then.
>

The mausolem is indeed a mystery. One thing we know for sure is that
it is Severian's. "I have disturbed my own tomb, and I go to lie in
it." It contains three closed coffins and two empty coffins. Who could
be in them?

I like the suggestion in Lexicon Urthus that the Sev of UotNS went
back in time and had it constructed for himself when he got old. The
rose, spaceship, and fountain markings on the tomb look like a coded
message about the New Sun. The three closed coffins could be the
remains of Odilio, Pega, and Thais. Perhaps the two open coffins were
for Severian and whoever was his wife in his old age. Perhaps they
were raided by tomb robbers or relic-seekers.

For the face-changing issue, they are talking about how the faces of
rulers are idealized and ennobled in portraits and sculptures. He
didn't look that noble in real life, even on the day he came to claim
Valeria. But now he does -- after his character-transformative
experiences of becoming the New Sun and the Conciliator. Valeria
laughs and cries because now it is too late for her.
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