(urth) Pike's ghost

[António Pedro Marques]

Gerry Quinn wrote (28-11-2011 13:10):
> *From:* Lee Berman <mailto:severiansola at hotmail.com>
>
>> Yes. There is an additional bit of evidence. In the back of a
>> manteion, during a search for a working window, iirc, Silk discovers a
>> painting of "Pas" depicting him presiding over an orgy scene of sexual
>> debauchery. The nursing of erection(s) presents us with a clear clue
>> that Pas is the Typhon that Severian meets and that the depiction of
>> his tyrannical perversions is accurate.
>>
>> There is no glimmer of recognition in Silk. No jog of memory of some
>> hint in the Chrasmologic Writings or anything. Silk just considers it
>> utter blasphemy, destroys it on the spot and never mentions it again
>> (iirc).
>
> Actually this is quite incorrect. Silk recognises the painting as a
> “crude mockery of Campion’s celebrated painting of Pas enthroned”.
> Campion’s painting was probably created at the time the Whorl was being
> fitted out (it shows bulldozers, referred to as taluses), and in the
> Whorl, which is unlikely to be as prone to viral images as our current
> society, would have needed some time to become famous. The obscene
> parody, then, was presumably created much later.

Either way, what is meant by 'recognition'? If it's that Silk doesn't 
recognise Typhon, there's no reason he should, he's never met him. If it's 
that Silk doesn't recognise himself, well, one more hint that he doesn't 
look like Pas (who probably looks like Typhon, and if he doesn't it's at 
best neutral data, not evidence for anything).