(urth) Crotali (was: Re: traveling north)

[Mr Thalassocrat]

On Sun, Jun 20, 2010 at 9:40 AM, Jane Delawney <jane_delawney at sky.com>wrote:



> We know already that in the time of the Conciliator temperate-climate crops
> extend some way 'south' (or whatever:) ) of where they are found in
> Severian's day (he remarks on the occurrence of apple-orchards way 'south'
> of where he remembers), and of course the time of Apu-Punchau is millennia
> earlier. But postulating a longer summer and growing season is surely not
> enough to bring the stars of deepest winter (the name crotali, 'the rattles'
> according to Andre-Driussi, though I confess to ignorance as the language
> involved, seems to be related directly to the rattling together of icicles
> in the wind, I have no idea which if any of our present constellations may
> be involved) into summer. The implication seems to be clear that what
> Severian knew as winter is now summer. The only explanation that I can see
> here is that the poles, the hemispheres themselves, are not arranged as Sev
> knew them in his original place and time.
>
I just assumed that he has travelled so far back in time that the proper
motions of the stars had carried them far away from their positions in his
own day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proper_motion
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