(urth) Home Fires questions

[David Stockhoff]

Apologies for all the links the Wiki paste put in there. Here is a 
cleaner version.

On 10/7/2011 5:33 PM, David Stockhoff wrote:
> (1) What the hell was that about Ellen Woodward, Connell, and 
> Auciello? The leader she shoots is not the hijacker's, because he (I 
> can't find his name) is subdued by Soriano. Was Skip once someone 
> else? (Why did Chelle think he had a cane at one point?)
>
> (2) Charles is emphatically Chelle's father (unless he is not). At the 
> formal dinner, his family reunites. All three have trouble recognizing 
> one another (except when they don't). Two are known to be not entirely 
> who they think they are. Surely the third is also not entirely who he 
> is. It has been suggested Blue is an Os, but surely the Os are not 
> sexually/genetically compatible with humans. Was Charles abnormally 
> tall previously? Chelle says he would do anything to get ahead; he was 
> quite old. To complete the trio of "spirit mounts," is Mr White 
> Charles in an Os body (or some Os-tech amalgam that lets him keep his 
> blue eyes)?
>
> (3) Someone mentioned the loa; someone else also wondered about a 
> mythic family containing a resurrected mother and a tricksy father. I 
> don't know about that but has anyone checked out the Ogun angle? From 
> the Wiki:
>
> (a) In a ritual the Loa are summoned by the Houngan (Priest), Mambo 
> (Priestess) or Bokor  (Sorcerers) to take part in the service, receive 
> offerings, and grant requests. The Loa arrive in the peristyle (ritual 
> space) by mounting (possessing) a horse (ritualist) - who is said to 
> be "ridden." ....
>
> Certain Loa display very distinctive behaviour by which they can be 
> recognized, specific phrases, and specific actions. As soon as a Loa 
> is recognized, the symbols appropriate to them will be given to them. 
> For example Erzulie Freda will be given a mirror and a comb, fine 
> cloth or jewelry (Vanessa?!); Legba will be given his cane, straw hat 
> and pipe (Charles?); Baron Samedi will be given his top hat, 
> sunglasses (Charles again?) and a cigar.
>
> Further, as to why Wolfe would suddenly write a voodoo novel:
>
> (b) As a way to keep their European masters from interfering, and to 
> appease the authorities who prevented them from practising their own 
> religions, the African slaves  in Haiti syncretised  the Loa with the 
> Roman Catholic  saints - so Vodoun altars will frequently have images 
> of Catholic figures displayed. For example, Papa Legba is alternately 
> St. Peter  or St. Lazarus, Ayizan  is Saint Clare, and so on. 
> Syncretism also works the other way in Haitian Vodou  and many 
> Catholic  saints  have become Loa in their own right, most notably St. 
> Philomena, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Jude, and St. John the Baptist.
>
> And finally:
>
> (c) The Rada Loa are generally the older, more beneficent spirits, and 
> are associated with the gods of Africa. They include Legba, Loko, 
> Ayizan, Anaisa Pye, Dhamballah Wedo, and Ayida-Weddo, Erzulie Freda, 
> La Sirène, and Agwe. Their traditional colour is white (as opposed to 
> the specific colours of individual Loa).


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