(urth) Father Inire as Dionysus

[Lee Berman]

>Sergei Soloviev: Was it discussed before that "Cumaean" is probably  just
>the Cumaean Sybil from Earth (or her "projection")?
 
Yes. But I'd hesitate to say "just" the Cumaean Sybil. There is a lot of
relevant associations about her to consider. This character in mythology
was a cave-dwelling Pythian (snake) Priestess of Apollo. She asked him for 
immortality and got it but she forgot to request eternal youth, so she gets 
pretty old and shrivelled. She is noted as being the first to herald the 
coming of Christ, by some (despite her pagan nature).
 
The Cumaean Sibyl is associated with the goddess Fauna, so I have little 
doubt that the old woman in The Town That Forgot Fauna, is (in some manner)
The Cumaean.
 
The text pairs The Cumaean with Father Inire and I've posted before about
Inire's name likely linking him to Faunus. So mythology provides more 
evidence for the textual link between these two characters.
 
The Cumeaean Sybil was a prophetess and Isangoma repeatedly calls Marie
"The Preceptress" in the Jungle Hut. Might be a coincidence. But not very
likely if Isangoma is Father Inire.
 
The Homeric Hymn to Apollo also links The Cumaean Sibyl to Echidna. Not a
shocker since both are cave dwellers and snake-associated. This might 
suggest a connection between The Cumaean and Typhon that isn't too
difficult to figure out.
 
There are a few more dots which can be connected but I'll leave it at that
for now.