(urth) Boatman as Inire

[Lee Berman]

>Roy C. Lackey- You're really reaching, Lee. Almost by definition, the billions
>who suffered and died in the process had no choice in the matter. And if the 
>process had not been completed, they would not have become Hierogrammates. 
>Besides, we are explicitly told that when the manvantara in which the Hieros
>had formed the Hierogrammates was destroyed, the Hierogrammates had escaped 
>to Yesod, and that of all the works of the mighty Hieros of that manvantara, 
>only the Hierogrammates remained (URTH, XIX, 137-38). That puts an end to that
>notion, I hope. The death of a universe is about as final as it gets.
 
I guess I am reaching beyond your interpretation of the text but I don't
see anything wrong with that. Why should there be an end to expansion of current
modes of thought when I, and others, find them incomplete and unsatisfactory?
 
I think your 4-D thinking is off in interpreting the "History" of the Universe. 
Yes, the Hierogrammates escaped to Yesod and all that the Hieros created was 
destroyed in the death of the previous universe. But the universe lower than 
Yesod is Briah. Thus "history" of the destruction of Briah is actually far in
Urth/Ushas's future. Any failed Hierogrammates would be trapped in Briah which
is what I think we could be seeing in Inire and the Cumaean. 
 
Ushas is created because it is a necessary stage in the creation of Hierogrammates,
yes? Each race creates the other. Thus Hierogrammates must be created in the 
future of Ushas (Hieros are green men maybe?). That's how I currently see it.
 
 
>Jeff Wilson- And even if they are of the same stock, they may have their own 
>imperfect forms of artificial longevity, so that bent and twisted Inire 
>and Cumaean is what's left after beautiful Famulimus and 
>Barbatus-cohorts have been kept under maintenance for centuries past 
>their expiration dates.

I think Borski has proposed that Mother Cumaean and Father Inire are the parents 
of Barbatus and Famulimus. I prefer your idea that they are older, messed up 
versions...in your view, any chance they could, in fact, BE older, bent versions
of Barbatus and Famulimus?
 
For me, simple aging is not enough explanation. Their personalities and speech
patterns and behavior are different also. Such a common SF trope that the good
superior interstellar beings remain above the fray, while the bad ones get 
personally involved and take sides and set themselves up as minor gods among
the primitives.  I suppose it could be argued that long residence on Urth has 
corrupted their behavior as well as their physical appearance. But is just another 
way of saying they are fallen versions of the angelic hierodules.
 
 
 
[I once read a short SF story which sort of violated the Prime Directive principle.
A modern jet pilot found himself and his plane time-transported to WWI. He managed 
to refine enough kerosene into jet fuel so that he could launch and shred the jerries
in their pathetic, kite-like bi-planes. I expected bad karma to result but nope. He 
was a hero. It was a very repulsive story to me, ethically. On the other hand I didn't
mind Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court for some reason]