(urth) Serpents and Undines

[Lane Haygood]

The ocean is referred to as the "world-river" Oroborous.

LH

On Thu, Jul 29, 2010 at 3:44 PM, Jeff Wilson <jwilson at io.com> wrote:
>> Doesn't the cumaen shed her face at some point to show the reptilian mask
>> beneath? Isn't the Cumaen a cacogens also? Severian compares Inire to her
>> if I recall.
>
> She appears as a clump of many serpents to Severian's second sight, the
> way Dr Talos's face looks like a stufffed fox's. She doesn't actually
> unmask, other than sword-swallowing the rod that should be too big for a
> human being to do so. The rod remains visible in the swarm, making a kind
> of living caduceus, or a kind of fasces or post-fasces.
>
> There are a couple of constellation serpents mentioned, IIRC, and maybe a
> simile with a stream or river.
>
> I think Abaia counts as a serpent in the same figurative way dragons are
> called serpents and worms, plus rivers are serpentine and Maxellendis'
> uncle describes the commanding voice coming from the river itself.
>
> That last related tale puzzles me. The very large, very pale "pandours"
> suggest armed and armored siblings of Idas. But why are they being
> smuggled on a boat? Are the scorpions and voulges too heavy to swim with?
>
> _______________________________________________
> Urth Mailing List
> To post, write urth at urth.net
> Subscription/information: http://www.urth.net
>