(urth) Foes of the Increate

[Lane Haygood]

Aren't you missing two big (very, very big) antagonists of the Increate?

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 3, 2010, at 2:03 PM, Son of Witz <Sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org> wrote:

> Foes of the Increate
> 
> This analysis is based on the metaphysical concept that Verticality represents an orientation to the infinite, while the Horizontal represents normal time / history.
> 
> After escaping from Thrax, Severian goes "Into the Mountains".
> As he ascends vertically, he meets various foes of the Increate, ranked in a sort of hierarchy represented by their altitude.  
> 
> First he encounters the Alzabo, then descends a bit lower to the Zoanthropes, then up again to the Circle of Sorcerers, then way up to Typhon, then down somewhat to Baldanders, and eventually onto the Ascians.
> 
> The Alzabo:
> I’m not exactly clear on this one, but I can't help feel that it somehow represents fiends that would prey on the humble families of Urth.  A very lowly sort.  
> 
> Zoanthropes:
> Zoanthropes are representative of that humanity that would reject their ‘God given” humanity, throwing that gift away to become mere beasts. 
> 
> Circle of Sorcerers:
> They are trying to prevent the coming of the New Sun with Sorcery and Fakery.  These represent Dark arts aimed towards the mastery of the mundane world. A corruption of magic and power. They would prevent the coming of the New Sun and the resurrection it would bring.
> 
> Typhon
> At the very summit of the mundane world, Severian meets the highest altitude foe, Typhon, a hard to miss analog for the Satan that offers Christ the kingdom of Earth.  Typhon offers the world to Severian to Rule as Typhon's steward.  Like Jesus, Severian rejects the offer.  Furthermore, we have associations with Moloch and child sacrifice with Little Severian.  Typhon says he drank the boys life energy. I assume this is the case rather than Severian waking him. I’m not sure though.
> 
> Baldanders
> The epitome of Scientific Materialism.  He's at Lake Diaturna, which unless I'm mistaken is higher than the Jungle of the Sorcerers, but much lower than Mount Typhon.  Baldanders would commit the classic sin of trying to “Storm the gates of Heaven”
> 
> 
> The Ascians represent a Godless Humanity that gives up it’s humanity to be a uniform entity.  These, I think, are also representative of the humanity that gave up their wild side in Urth’s past.  The Heirogrammates and Aquastors’ gave that wildness back to the humanity of the Commonwealth that they favor.  To be honest, I have no idea what their altitude is, so I don’t know where they would fit into a hierarchy.
>    
> ~SonOfWitz
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