(urth) Seawrack

[Dan'l Danehy-Oakes]

Silk isn't Jesus, he's Moses.


On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 5:13 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>wrote:

>  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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-- 
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes
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