(urth) vanished people=Hieros

[Gerry Quinn]

From: Lee Berman 

> I think The Hunter is Orion and the Noose of Light is the Big Dipper. The Sultan's
> Tower is just that. A tall structure in Omar Kayaam's field of vision as he gazes
> at the star-spangled early dawn sky. Also could be an astronomy connection. Kayaam
> was an astronomer as well as poet and the Persians used their towers for that purpose.      

It seems to me that the Hunter of the East is more likely to be the dawn Sun, which is in the East (Orion can be in different directions).  Besides, the stars have been put to flight!

The noose of light around the turret would then be the dawn sunshine lighting the top part of a tower (before the sun rises further and lights the rest).  Of course the noose image is necessary to making the Sun a hunter; the two metaphors only work together.

I agree with James that the stone is Venus in the original, though I think Wolfe is referring to the White Fountain.

- Gerry Quinn
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