(urth) The Nebraskan and the Nereid

Gerry Quinn gerryq at indigo.ie
Mon Apr 18 03:56:04 PDT 2011


From: "Jerry Friedman" <jerry_friedman at yahoo.com>
>> From: Gerry Quinn <gerryq at indigo.ie>

>> She gave her name as Thoe, who is the Nereis of waves or voyage.  (I 
>> can't
>>find any significance in 'Papamarkos', which seems to be an ordinary Greek
>>name.)
>>
>> Also, why would she sign her own initial beside the corpse of the  girl, 
>> unless
>>she had indeed killed her?
>>
>> So I still prefer the 'psyche'  theory.
>
> How about the other familiar Greek word beginning with a psi: pseudes, 
> "false",
> and "pseudein", to lie.  (Thanks to the AHD
> <http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/pseudo->.)  Has the 
> maid
> been false to her people or her god?  Has the Nebraskan been false to her?
> Maybe.

I don't think so.  Nor do I think she was false to the Nebraskan.  Certainly 
I see no reason to inscribe a symbol of falsity beside her corpse.

> But I think its main meaning is Poseidon's trident.

That could make some sense; it does look like one. But still, the letter pi 
is given to Poseidon earlier (perhaps even to contradict this 
interpretation?) - does he really need another?

I think a key element in interpretation (unless we assume a far more central 
and murderous role for the Nereid, which I don't think there's any 
justification for) is that the symbol pertains to the maid, not Thoe.  I 
don't see how the symbology associated with Poseidon or his trident fits 
Whereas psi (for psyche) seems appropriate enough to mark a tragic death.

- Gerry Quinn
















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