(urth) Father Inire as Dionysus

[larry miller]

Thats an interesting theory that Catherine may be the woman dug up by
Vodalus.  If she indeed inhabited the Atrium of Time as some suggest
she could have easily have died after her appearances as St Katherine
and been buried in the past.  Perhaps she was being led to her death
on the Path of Air?  I also would love to hear your theory on this, no
matter how fantastical.

On 10/23/11, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>David Stockhoff:>> Does anyone think it unlikely that Ultan lends Talos
>
>>books by the hundreds? Talos could be a voracious if infrequent patron
>
>>perhaps
>
>
>>Exactly. He and Baldanders did not always travel.
>
>
>
> Borski suggests Ultan is a version of Father Inire because of the obscured
>
> eyes. I find more significance in the fact that Severian sees the face of
>
> the dead woman in the necropolis in Ultan's face.
>
>
>
> Anyway, if this were correct (and I think we can all agree the whole curator
>
> guild is associated with Father Inire, be it art, botanic gardens or books),
>
> we wouldn't need to invent non-textual familiarity between Ultan and Dr.
> Talos
>
> and Cyriaca's uncle. Not if they all ARE Father Inire. ;- )
>
>
>
> In the past I've likened BotNS as a labyrinth. And Severian keeps meeting
> new
>
> and old acquaintances with each corner he turns. I'm only suggesting that in
> a
>
> labyrinth you are more likely to meet an old character again than in an open
>
> system. I think nobody doubts Wolfe has disguised characters in many of his
>
> works, not just this one. Why be parsimonious with the idea?
>
>
>
>
>
> p.s. Oh this reminds me of another unanswered question from David. "So,
> Catherine
>
> is alive?", or something like that.
>
>
>
> That is a pretty damn difficult question. I think Dr. Talos' play suggests
> that
>
> Catherine is a khaibit for the Contessa Carina. I think it would be easy to
>
> guess that is a job one might run away from. (I do have a theory on why
> Severian
>
> sees her being escorted by soldiers on the Path of Air on the day of the
> Flood.
>
> But it is pretty fantastical).
>
>
>
> Anyway, if we take the clues regarding Carina's maids rather literally,
> perhaps
>
> there were three of these khaibits made. But maybe it was more. What their
> real
>
> names are I don't know but there is more than one and more than two bits of
>
> evidence that khaibits take their name as variations on the name of their
>
> mistress/DNA source.
>
>
>
> Anyway, there seems to be a live Catherine maid available every year for the
>
> beheading ceremony. Dave Tallman thinks Severian really beheads his own
> mother,
>
> based on the heaviness of the "balsa wood" sword Severian wields. Could this
> be
>
> an earlier test of Severian's power?
>
>
>
> On the other hand, I am quite sure that the dead woman dug up by Vodalus is
> also
>
> a version of Catherine. It combination of clues, the dark hair, the pale
> gown,
>
> the livid face and an overly detailed description of Allowin's necklace.
> Also,
>
> Catherine was unfaithful to SOMEBODY with her sexual encounter with Ouen.
> And
>
> what was dark-haired, oval faced, failed Pelerine Cyriaca's sentence for
>
> adultery? Strangulation.
>
>
>
> Other clues are the aforementioned image of her face in that of Ultan's.
> Also,
>
> it would seem that Vodalus and his crew are not risking their lives and
> wasting
>
> precious alzabo to have their ceremony for eating just anyone.  Thecla was
> important.
>
> But perhaps not as important as eating the mother of the Conciliator/New Sun
> (which
>
> Vodalus may or may not know about. But  SOMEBODY in power knows about it).
> 		 	   		
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