(urth) AEG: More Theology

[John Watkins]

"Gideon of the Forest" recalls "Vodalus of the Wood," doesn't it?
Could be another clue that Gid is on the side of the Squid God.



On 10/28/08, James B. Jordan <jbjordan4 at cox.net> wrote:
> Theological allegory part II.
>
>          Wolfe's novels are always polyphonic. I'll leave the noir
> and Lovecraft threads to others, and try and do my duty by pointing
> to the theological/Biblical ones. Or at least contributing to that aspect.
>
> I. From the book of Revelation:
>          In Revelation 12, the woman is attacked by the Dragon.
> Cassie plays missionary daughter Mariah (Mary). Reis is out to poison
> dragons throughout the world with poison gold.
>          With the Dragon's initial defeat, he goes after the new form
> of the woman, who is given wings of a great eagle and taken to a
> wilderness (12:14). I assume it is clear how this happens to Cassie
> at the end of the novel. Also, while a good interpretation of
> Revelation sees the Dragon cast out of heaven with the ascension of
> Jesus Christ, traditional misunderstanding (a la Milton) sees this as
> the Dragon cast down to earth at the time of the initial rebellion of
> Lucifer. Wolfe may be using this motif in connection with the
> "arrival" on earth "before the Flood" of Satan/Squiddie.
>          The Sky Dragon, fallen to humanity, manifests himself
> through Sea Beast, Land Beast, and Beast Image (Rev. 13). All this
> seems to be in AEG. Read the chapter and see how Wolfe puts a
> SF/Fantasy spin on it all. Squiddie is located in the water now, but
> he has powers on the land (the ATF, etc.). People worship the Sea
> Beast/Squiddie. It enlists people to make war on the "saints" all
> over the earth. The Sea Beast's servant, the Land Beast, seeks to
> control the economy (gold) (13:17).
>          The Dragon, as Sea Beast, also manifests as an evil city,
> Babylon, a city seeking to control the economy (ch. 17-18). This city
> is thrown into the sea in 18:21.
>          Revelation 22:20 ends, "Come, Lord Jesus." This is exactly
> how AEG ends.
>          Of course, Lovecraft uses Revelation's evils also, and is
> concerned with society as Wolfe is. How much of Wolfe's read if
> Revelation is here influence by HPL I'll leave to those with more
> Lovecraftian experties to say.
>
> II. Foot would and head wound.
>          In Genesis 3, the deliverer will suffer a foot wound while
> crushing the head of the Ur-Serpent. So, it might seem that Gideon
> Chase is the deliverer and Reis the serpent. Yet, Christ is head of
> the Church, the Bride, and so the bashing in of Reis's head, in
> context, is a crucifixion.
>          So, who is Gideon Chase who is also Gilbert Corby?
>          First, he would seem to be the offspring of the sons of God
> (angels / Wolder men) and the daughters of men. Such men became
> nephilim, strong ones, men of renown (Gen. 6). [Note: though this is
> a common read of Genesis 6, it does not hold water in the text.
> Anyway...] The Wolder men try to seduce human women. ("Aliens want
> our women!!") Woldercan is a dangerous and possibly evil place. Fish
> talk and try to mess you up (agents of Squiddie?). The forests are
> evil, period. Women's periods, the "distress of women," sometimes
> called "the curse" by women, seems to be a multiplied factor on Woldercan.
>          As an offspring of "angels/demons," it's no surprise that
> Chase has a black heavenly chariot. Voices inside the chariot tempt
> Cassie. She's not bright enough to perceive that, but Chase feared
> it, which is why he did not want her to drive it. Cassie is not real
> bright, but she's pretty innocent, and in her exalted semi-angelic
> status is even more so.
>
>          Second, Gil-Bert means "bright pledge/hostage," with the Gil
> part as "hostage."
>          Corby, in English/Scandavian means "Dweller in Cor's Land,"
> but in French it's a diminutive of "crow." This is Wolfe. I vote for Crow.
>          Gideon, of course, was a warrior messiah of the book of
> Judges. He fought the followers of Baal, beginning by tearing down an
> image of Baal. Judges 6ff.
>          Chase means "Dweller of the Wood/Huntingground."
>
>          So: Gideon of the Forest = A Hostage Crow
>          I'm not getting a BFO or AHA moment here. Given the evil
> forests of Woldercan, Gideon of the Forest might indicate a mixture
> of good and evil in him. Gil Corby is more mysterious, if I've
> translated aright, and I'm not sure of that.
>
>          Third, however, at the moment (and I've only read the book
> once), Gideon Chase seems like an Old Testament leader who initially
> is enlisted by the ruling powers to oppose Reis (think of "The
> Detective of Dreams") but eventually comes to support him, and
> eventually to turn over the Bride to him. At one point Cassie,
> speaking of his being pursued, calls him Gideon Chased, but is that
> not also Gideon Chaste? The footwound of Gideon (so common and so
> multivalent in Wolfe) could be that of Jacob, something that both
> humbles him and also enables him to enter a new and more saintly life.
>
> III. Transformations:
>          It's been pointed out that Reis seems mainly a power seeker
> initially, but then becomes messianic and sacrificial. I think also
> that Chase has a mixed past, but becomes a new man. Reis dies for
> Cassie, but in a way Chase has already done so, by letting her go.
>          Big guess, and I have no way to know, but I think that,
> inspired by Reis, Chase returns to Woldercan to begin some
> housecleaning. Cassie, who desired to "be somebody and do something"
> goes to help him.
>
> FWIW.
>
> Nutria
>
>
>
> James B. Jordan
> Director, Biblical Horizons
> Box 1096
> Niceville, FL 32588
> http://www.biblicalhorizons.com

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