(urth) bsharp's Inire theory

b sharp bsharporflat at hotmail.com
Thu Jul 10 05:04:12 PDT 2008


Roy C. Lackey quotes:
>"'... the Cumaean, she was a Hierodule, like you. Father Inire told me.' 
>Famulimus and Barbatus nodded."

Roy wonders why they don't tell Severian more details. I would say that,
as demonstrated with Baldanders, they are prone to divulge a bare 
minimum of information. Only what is needed. Perhaps the nod is only
to acknowledege "yes, that's what Father Inire told you".

Either way I don't see how this addresses my observation that Famulimus
 and Barbatus unveiled are super-humanly beautiful while The Cumaean
unveiled is a weird snake-being and I see no evidence that Father Inire is 
beautiful under his cowl.

But I'm glad Roy brought the quote to attention.  I hadn't noticed the
word "was" before. Why the past tense? Was she formerly a hierodule
but became something else? Or is that just an imprecise way for Severian
to say he hadn't seen her for a while?

Where do The Cumaean and more importantly Father Inire go during the
events of UotNS?  Has Wolfe casually dismissed them as too unimportant
to explain?  Severian figures Father Inire won't long survive the old sun's
passing, but why?  He lasted 1000 years (most of which Severian remembers)
why couldn't he hold out for another 60 years?

My own answer is literary/religious. I think those two plus Abaia and Erebus etc.
go to the same place Zeus and Hera etc. go after the time of Jesus. But if anyone
has other ideas about them, I am interested.

-bsharp
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