(urth) House Absolute

[Son of Witz]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: brunians at brunians.org [mailto:brunians at brunians.org]

>It is North.
>
>Nessus has been moving south.


No, Nessus has been moving North, from it's southern origin at the sea.

Claw 28:
"Dorcas paused, looking up into the trees. "My father said that the city had been creeping northward along the river for all of history, having begun as an autochthon village where Gyoll joins the sea...
"
and
Citadel XVII
"Yes?you came from Nessus, did you not? And that was a city 
built about a river. But it was once a city by the sea,"

All of the Dead and dying parts of the city are in the south, which makes sense if it's crept up the river.  

Gyoll runs Southeast
Citadel XXXII 
"I had heard that the ruins of the city extended far downriver and asked when we would sight them."

The Citadel is near the Center of Nessus, but to the South. 

Sword VI 
"Anyway, in Nessus, a long way south of the city most people visit, so far down the great river in fact that most people think the city would have ended long before, there stands an ancient fortress.

and from Jonas story:
Shadow 35
"In the old times, the lords of this world feared no one but their own people,and to defend themselves against them built a great fortress on a hilltop to the north of the city."

so back in Jonas's time, the Citadel (Great Fortress) is North of the City Proper.

So, clearly Nessus has crept North.


I was trying to draw a map of the areas, and I realized it does almost perfectly overlay with South America. (Obviously I'm not the first to notice) It's more or less Argentina that this takes place in.   If you look at Buenos Aires, it's at the mouth of a river that opens to the sea. I forget the name, Rio Parana or something.  So, if Nessus Started out at Buenos Aires, I figure it's probably as far as Rosario by the BoTNS, though that makes for a seriously huge city wall.

Right in the middle of Argentina is the Patagonia Pampas, and the rugged Andes would be perfect for carving Kings, they're very tall and steep, unlike many mountain ranges that slope more gradually. And of course, to the South, you've got the Southern Isles that of Halvard's story, where it is cold and icy, like the bottom of Chile and the Falkland Islands.

And further north, of course, you find the Jungle and the Jungle River, Ouroboros, which is obviously the Amazon River.



>> I don't have the text to hand so I cannot verify till I get home however I
>> don't think the House Absolute is in
>> Nessus at all.  Did Severian not travel North for some time before he
>> reached Nessus?  He was walking over
>> House Absolute with Jonas when they were taken capture by the Guards.

I foundt searchable text files. they come in handy.

Yes, The House Absolute is North of Nessus.
While I think the Nuclear bunker idea is neat, it doesn't seem to jibe with the details of the H.A. which is extravagant and palatial.  As well, Inire built the Second House to coincide with the First House completely. It doesn't seem like a Nuclear Bunker would be retrofitted to have that sort of subtle labyrinthian structure.

~SonOfWitz