(urth) Sapphire Star

Tue Dec 30 10:36:47 PST 2008

Thanks for the feedback.
I think all the comments so far are on-point.

On Dec 29, 2008, at 7:30 PM, John Watkins wrote:

> Another point that may be of interest regarding red within or  
> beneath blue.
>
> In Byzantine art, red is the color of divinity, blue the color of
> humanity.  Christ is therefore often shown with blue over red--the
> divine "putting on" the human form.  (Mary, in contrast, wears red
> over blue, the human taken up by divine grace).
>

I had not noticed that yet. Great bit. I'll keep that in mind.

On Dec 30, 2008, at 7:41 AM, David Stockhoff wrote:

> Good to know!
>
> Wolfe always weaves his fiction from existing threads, whether  
> literary or real. In a sense, he's one of the most "unoriginal" and  
> "uncreative" writers I can think of--in his use of words, for  
> example. It's no surprise that he would follow some orthodoxy on  
> Byzantine color schemes.
> If I had half the knowledge in that man's head ....

this reminds me of working with Secret Chiefs 3 a bit.  He works so  
strongly from a body of tradition that when design decisions need to  
be made, especially in terms of color choices, we can just reference  
the tradition.  That's one of the strengths of utilizing these forms.  
They have a deeply worked over consistency in symbolism, despite the  
thousands of years of variants.

> On 12/29/08, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:
>> That does point up something germane, however. The Claw's colors  
>> are blue
>> and white on the outside (sky, sun) and red and black (green??) on  
>> the
>> inside (thorn, blood). None of these has anything to do with  
>> Severian's
>> iconography (black). And indeed Severian believes the Claw is  
>> separate from
>> himself until he is shown otherwise.
>>
>> Presumably sapphire is connected to healing in some reality-based  
>> tradition.
>> But I don't find any evidence of it. I did find the following:
>>
>> " Symbolic precious stones by the early Christian artists have been  
>> alluded
>> to by several ancient writers. Conspicuous among these was  
>> Marbodeus, Bishop
>> of Rennes, who wrote (as before mentioned) at the commencement of the
>> twelfth century.
>>
>> The blue-coloured Sapphire is an emblem of heaven, virtue, truth,
>> constancy, heavenly love, and contemplation. [NOT HEALING!!!]
>>
>> "The azure light of Sapphire's stone
>> Resembles that celestial throne,
>> A symbol of each simple heart
>> That grasps in hope the better part,
>> Whose life each holy deed combines,
>> And in the light of virtue shines."

  This is great.  the "healing" bit was a surprise.  The thing I was  
pondering when I went looking was the relationship of the stone to the  
star.
The Claw is essentially the earthly stand-in /counterpart to the sun.   
As NewSun, he carries the Star home, in a sense, bringing it across  
time and space.  As Severian, he's carried the claw around the  
commonwealth.    When he finally gives the thorn away to the  
Chilliarch in the Age of the Autarch, the very next thing he walks the  
corridors of time and comes out of his cenotaph obelisk, where he  
immediately sees his Star.
"As the stone swung back, I saw the starry sky and the single bright  
star (blue now with it's velocity) that was myself"
then again in "the Morning Tide" he says the Claw of the Conciliator  
has returned, then identifies it as the star, then as himself.
anyway, it hadn't dawned on me till this point that the Claw is  
symbolic of his Star more than anything.

>> In his "Commentary," Marbodeus says, "The Sapphire is of the colour  
>> of
>> the sky. It signifies, then, that while they be yet on earth, set  
>> their
>> affections on things above, and despise things terrestrial." "
>>
>> Makes sense for the New Sun, don't it? And Wolfe, who must have  
>> done at
>> least a little research into Byzantine icons and early Christian  
>> art, hid
>> Severian's blood inside a blue stone rather than go for the obvious
>> carbuncle (blood of christ) or the imperial "sardius":
>>
>> I wonder, has anyone considered that Severian's iconic color is  
>> literally
>> the color of a black hole?
>>

I've noticed that.
it really works well combined with the Avern, which I also see as a  
symbol for Severian as New Sun.
A white blossom surrounded in irridescent black blades.
I don't know how to put it into words, but as I've been drawing new  
sun icons, the black hole aspect of the black has seemed very important.

that being said, I was thinking that Autarch Severian would probably  
not be thought of in Fuligin, no?
He's presumably wearing Argent robes in the ceremony with the skulls  
before leaving Urth.
"Soon I must don robes of argent, the color that is more pure than  
white"
which of course speaks, by contrast, to the dichotomy of Severian's role

thanks for the additional detail, David & John,
~Witz

>> ------------------------
>>
>> Message: 6
>> Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:12:43 -0800
>> From: Son of Witz <sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org>
>> Subject: (urth) Sapphire Star
>> To: The Urth Mailing List <urth at lists.urth.net>
>> Message-ID: <DAA1F1B0-CA77-48BF-8BB9-797A1F0A372B at butcherbaker.org>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
>>
>> thinking about the symbolic relationship between the Claw and the
>> White Fountain, I looked through some of my mother in-law's crystal
>> books for reference.
>>
>> In "Healing with Gemstones and Crystals" by Diane Stein, which is
>> apparently heavily influenced by this Plieadians new age alien-
>> channelling cultish scene, I found the following entry on Star
>> Sapphire as oddly appropriate to Severian & tBotNS.
>>
>> Sapphire-Star (natural only)
>> color: blue and silver
>> Chakra: Causal Body
>> *Promotes connection with other-dimensional and other-planetary
>> information for healing oneself and others
>> *Aids teachers of healing and healers in becoming clear channels for
>> healing, facilitates connection and working with angelic Be-ings in
>> healing
>> *Supports those in service to others and the planet; aids becoming an
>> old soul, becoming a bodhisattva
>> *Eases healer's burnout, aids healers' own healing needs
>>
>>
>>
>> anyway, I thought it was a funny bit of gold found in some shit.
>> the way the writer dropped the alien theories as fact was quite
>> entertaining.
>>
>>
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