(urth) Father Inire as Dionysus

[David Stockhoff]

On 10/21/2011 1:08 PM, Lee Berman wrote:
>> David Stockhoff: However, I'm getting at why Severian would not tell us
>> that Hethor and your other suspects are Inire. Does he not see? Or is he
>> hiding it? If he is hiding it, why---which of the three reasons for a
>> dishonest memoir applies?
>
> Thanks for that question. A couple hours ago I would have answered that it
> seems most likely that Severian is deliberately hiding the knowledge and I
> would have discussed some possible reasons. (What are "the three reasons for
> a dishonest memoir"? Sorry if I missed that being posted).

My three reasons (for Severian) are: (1) pretending to be an orphan (2) 
maintaining a moral status just above rapist/motherfucker/serial killer 
(3) discreetly  sidestepping that he has been "set up," in both senses. 
Since Inire may be at the center of a web stretching from Ascians to 
Autarch to Vodalarii, he at least played a role in #3 and thus is 
relegated to the background.

> I may not be enough of a Xian scholar to answer that. But it is my observation
> that in many religions, including ancient Greek and Teutonic and Judeo-Christianity
> (and even their literary inspirations such as LOTR), human mortality is a gift
> disguised as a curse.
>
> We humans don't want to die and we envy the immortal gods. But as a race, we benefit
> from our mortality. Our short lives are connected to our great fertility, which is
> something the gods never have. They are bored and they cannot evolve. We can, because
> we have lots of children and while we die, the kids quickly grow up and have their own.

Yes, and especially see Fairies, who are forever seeking humans to steal 
and make their King (i.e., consort to their Queen), who lives a year in 
bliss, then dies (see There Are Doors). Lots of background for racial 
breeding theories there.

>
> I think size IS related to this and I think Wolfe recognizes it. One ubiquitous feature
> of the pagan gods is that their true size is titanic. They must find a way to create a
> miniturized human form if they are going to walk among us and interact.

An excellent metaphor!

>
>
>> Wait! What does Talos know about Sev's mother?
>
> Well, this relies on a few things. One is that the oval faced, olive-skinned maid who plays
> Holy Katharine is Catherine, Severian's mother. Another is an understanding that the oval-
> faced, olive skinned woman that Severian sees on the Path of Air is Catherine.
>
> Given those things, it becomes clear (to me, anyway) that Dr. Talos, in writing his play,
> knows that Catherine is Severian's mother. He writes in the play that the Contessa Carina
> (form of Catherine) is on the Road of Air being observed by a young man who looks like Severian.
> This Contessa is served by three maids all of who have beheaded saint names (Lybe, Solange and
> Kynaburga). And of course the maid Catherine is associated with beheading. And "maids" might be
> suspected to be a euphemism for khaibits "(credit to Dave Tallman for the original observations
> here).

Holy crap.

So Catherine is alive?