(urth) Seawrack

David Stockhoff dstockhoff at verizon.net
Mon Nov 25 05:13:36 PST 2013


Any chance she is a projection of Hyacinth/Kypris? She couldn't possibly 
have her own personality. Something suppresses the memories of eating 
dead sailors and allows her to communicate with Horn.

On another note, Silk's relationship with Hy parallels the 
nontraditional theories of Jesus' being married to Mary Magdalene? Does 
that lead us anywhere, theologically or otherwise?

And speaking of Mary, it has been noted by mythicists that if you added 
up all the Marys in the life of Jesus you'd have about a dozen---all the 
women are named Mary. This reminds me of St. Catherine and her maids, of 
course. Same question as above.

Speaking of Mary part 2: "The meaning [of the name Mary] is not known 
for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of 
bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was 
most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from 
/mry/ "beloved" or /mr/ "love"."

(Will Dan Brown's next novel assert that Mary was cloned? And why 
not---she was perfect enough to be chosen as Jesus' mother!)

On 11/22/2013 11:14 AM, Lee wrote:
>> Darrell Burgan: The more I think about it, the more confused I
>> Darrell Burgan: the more I think about it, the more confused I am about the role
>> of Seawrack in the Short Sun novels. She is clearly an important character in OBW,
>> but there is little information about her origin, or even how she is involved in the
>> many great arcs of the story.
> Regarding her origin, I think there are two conflicting stories presented.
> One is that she is a human girl who happened to fall into the water and was
> taken under the wing (so to speak) of the monstrous Mother who nurtured her
> and mutated her into a sea being.
>
> I think that story is a lie and a deliberate deception to make her more
> acceptable and appealing to Horn. I think her true origin can be found
> between the lines.
>
> Seawrack is a female figure who was budded off from the larger mass of
> the giant undersea monster/god called The Mother. This is in parallel to
> the female buds we see on the back of Great Scylla in RttW. And probably
> also in parallel to the production of undines by Abaia on Urth.
>
> Abaia is conflated with a boat armed with cannon in BotNS and I think the same
> thing happens when Horn encounters the all-black pirate ship with its
> female crew. Seawrack loses her arm when Horn shoots and hits the most
> prominent female on that boat. I think that "pirate ship" was The Mother.
>
> In mythology, Echidna is the "mother of all monsters" (Typhon is the "father"
> but that's a different thread). By some accounts, Echidna is the mother of
> the sirens (beautiful but monsters nonetheless). Two of the Whorl goddesses
> have the names of sirens, Molpe and Thelxiepeia. On Blue, the Mother's genesis
> of the siren Seawrack (not her real name) establishes her connection to Echidna
> for me.
>   
>> I can't escape the feeling that understanding her is somehow key to
>> understanding the Short Sun epic.
> Seawrack is a big part of OBW. In the next two books, she is there, but mostly
> just as a presence, a memory, a longing. A song that continues to sing in Horn's
> mind.
>
> I find the explanation of her importance to be autobiographical in nature. Just
> as I get the sense that Horn's relationship with Nettle and his children (natural
> and inhumi) is meant to reflect something of Wolfe's feelings for his own family,
> I think Seawrack serves a similar purpose. What more can be said? Isn't there
> someone in your life who was a "Seawrack"? Someone who is still provoking a sense
> of wistful longing?
>
> Here is Gene Wolfe's response when asked about Seawrack by an interviewer from
> Christian Fandom:
>
>> DJB: What's going on with Seawrack in On Blue's Waters? She almost seems like a rape
>> victim. What does her character's reactions signify?
>> GW: If you can't understand Seawrack, I can't make you understand her.
> http://www.christian-fandom.org/oli-gw.html 		 	   		
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