(urth) Five Severians - Severian-as-Clone

[David Stockhoff]

On 12/19/2013 8:38 PM, Michael Thayer wrote:
> >I could have sworn Severian died in BNS too, but not so definitively 
> as when Sidero (I think) kills him. I can't recall the event and I'll 
> have to look for it.
>
> Are you thinking of the avern battle with Agilus? I think a common 
> interpretation is that Severian died and came back to life in that scene.

Possibly.

>
> >David Stockhoff: I am not even sure the Severian of UNS is the same 
> Severian as BNS, or that Severian really did pass the test in UNS.
>
> I think a healthy skepticism about whether the narrators of UNS and 
> BotNS are the same version of Severian is fair, but I don't know why 
> you question whether he really did pass the test in UNS? I'm intrigued 
> -- what makes you doubt that?

Well, it's not like they handed him a golden key, Oz-style. (I don't 
trust anyone in UNS.)

>
> >David Stockhoff: Who built the mausoleum? Severian? Typhon? Ymar? 
> Inire? Gene Wolfe? Was there ever a family who had those arms---one 
> with actual women and children?
>
> This is a central question.  I have no idea.  If it was built by the 
> Commonwealth as a sort of matter of course at the end of a different 
> (failed) Severian's life to house his remains, then what is it doing 
> in the necropolis when our Severian is a child?  Again, I don't see 
> why it would be there unless it was somehow dislocated in time, or 
> time-travelers (those who walk the corridors of time that we are told 
> on pg. 406 of Citadel manipulate Severian's second journey to the 
> throne - I think this is Inire/hierodules, and possibly the undines as 
> well) rebuilt it there.  I think the mausoleum could have been put 
> there by someone who intended Severian to find so that it would help 
> shape his path and better prepare him for his trial so that he would 
> bring the New Sun.

I had forgotten about the three backward-travelers in time. They would 
be the ones in the best position to know how many coffins are needed and 
where to put them (assuming they are coffins). And remember Severian 
does describe "the dead man" in the mausoleum.

Also, if they are stored clones, then they would have to be shorter than 
the bar to be accepted into the Guild at the beginning of their careers. 
The coffins are full-size.