(urth) Typhons nature

[Lee Berman]

>Larry Miller: On first read I imagined Typhon as human native of Urth.  But Wolfes
>naming strategum points at Typhon being of alien origin.
 
Welcome Larry! I generally agree with most of your conclusions posted so far. The 
question of alien vs. human origins is not so clear cut for me.  
 
My interpretation of the Sun Series is that pretty much all the types of beings are
of Urth/human origin. In the first wave of galactic exploration, humans spread 
through the galaxy and mutated/evolved. I agree that the naming conventions are
important and denote a direction to the evolution. Some evolved into monstrous
beings (Abaia, Scylla, Typhon), some became sort of Greco-Roman demi-gods (Inire, 
Cumaean) and some became angelic (Tzadkiel). Baldanders illustrates that the 
evolution isn't necessarily a natural process.
 
The Urth series is a story about some of these mutants returning to the mother planet. 
The Long/Short Sun series is about original human stock moving out to interact with some 
of the mutants like Inhumi and Neighbors. It may be a hackneyed theme but I believe this 
is Wolfe's disguised but deliberate intent to explore the idea of a scientific origin to 
our myths: gods, monsters, angels, demons, vampires, etc. (Werewolves in the Soldier series?)
 
Neglected in the discussion of Typhon's nature is the connection to the Mandragora.
Mythological Typhon was a man-dragon and only these two Urth characters have the powers
of clairvoyance and telepathy.  I think most agree that Typhon's line about not being
born is significant. I agree with the idea that both Typhon and the Mandragora
(and other megatherians) were grown from the mythic "black beans" and decanted (to
use the Huxley term) from some sort of artificial womb (a process not completed for 
the poor Mandragora).
 
Not completely incidentally, the plant by the same, essential name, mandrake, is known
as a magical root but in reality contains the same hallucinogenic alkaloid, atropine,
found in most of the nightshade family.  These plants and their production of flying
and sexual delusions was a primary historical inspiration for the witchcraft cult which
existed pre- and parallel to Christianity. My view, based on Wolfe interviews, is that 
the entire Urth/Sun universe is one parallel (or "earlier") to our own. A universe in
which a true Jesus Christ never appeared so that humanity spent its history and future
dominated by other forces such as the gods, monsters and witchcraft which have been 
mentioned.
 
>Wait who was Typhons wife?  Was that Echidna?
 
Yes, both in Greek mythology and in the Sun series. In mythology they are known as the
"Father" and "Mother of All Monsters" and I believe they share that role in these books.
Not a coincidence, I think, that the giant being on Blue is called "The Mother". 
Interestingly, one of Typhon and Echidna's offspring was Cerberus, a likely avatar of Gene
Wolfe, himself. Only one of many perturbing personal references in Wolfe's work.
 
>David Stockhoff: The councilors' discussion of Mucor and the missing embryo that was Silk 
>makes it very clear that they are much the same. Surgery can't explain a 
>"magic" embryo. But the very fact that it's an embryo is a clear signal 
>that the origin of its magic is fundamentally genetic.

I agree. To me, an important aspect of the Mucor character is to shed light on Typhon and 
his abilities.