(urth) Father Inire-Hethor

[Lee Berman]

>David Stockhoff: Pardon me for continuing to inflict my arguments on 

>you---or rather my restrictions

 

Not at all. They are welcome as they may assist me in polishing the 

theory and mostly because they are not designed to set up strawman arguments 

to make my theory easier to knock down but rather seem an earnest attempt at

seeing someone else's point of view.

 

>Then of what race is Inire? At any rate, do you see the boatman as 
>deliberately guiding or helping Severian?

>...do you see these identifications as something Sev 
>would want to hide? (Let alone whether they are "revealed.") Do these 
>characters help Severian?

 

I'm not sure I understand your question. It may be we are starting with

different assumptions? I think it was Borski's mistake to assume Father

Inire was trying to help Severian become the New Sun, ignoring entirely

the obvious differences WOlfe gives Inire and The Cumaean vis a vis the

hierodules Famulimus and Barbatus, who are definitely helping him.

 

As I see it, Inire and the Cumaean are not trying to hinder Severian from

his destiny but they have their own agenda and are trying to enact it 

while they have the opportunity. I see them as fallen angel analogs. From

another perspective, they have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge but not the 

Tree of Life. Their knowledge has prolonged their lives but not as they might 

have wished for. They are old and shrivelled and cursed by their long lives.

 

This is in direct oppositon to Famulimus and Barbatus who are superhumanly

beautiful and happy in their short lives.  They assist Severian, who is immortal 

and destined to be the New Sun and to return in time and be the Conciliator as the 

Increate has written. Nothing can change that.

 

In my view, Inire and the Cumaean have tried every foul means of extending life at

their disposal: making zombies (Zama), head-splicing (Typhon), Cloning, ghoulish

eating of the dead, cosmic seances, etc. Nothing really works.

 

But they know the Conciliator who disappeared ages ago will return one day as the New

Sun and he will have the true power of healing and resurrection they desire. So they

spend 1000 years preparing a Commonwealth (and an enemy in the Ascians) and a dozen 

other strategems to try to wrest the secret from this guy when he appears, while he 

is young and dumb and unaware of his status.

 

They set up a meeting with Vodalus in the graveyard.  They set up an avern duel. They 

set up a meeting with Inire's dead wife's corpse. They set up Thecla and a diabolical 

eucharist meal. They set up a meeting with Typhon's corpse and a resurrection seance. 

They try killing him and other people around him over and over, in hopes of getting

his secret. Over and over Severian's adventures lead him to unconciously use his power

around people (like the Old Leech) who want to learn the secret.

 

I think that sums up where my theory stands now. Other questions might inspire other

wrinkles to sort out.