(urth) Back to Inter Library Loan - prob some spoilers

[Eric Bourland]

Going directly to the onomastics is not a bad way to go. I liked the book. Some beautiful writing. I did not get it all. I am gonna read Castleview again. And Interlibrary Loan again. The ending -- what the hell? It was perfect and it had to end but he is really trusting us.

*******
Eric Bourland
eb at hwaet.com
https://www.hwaet.com/
https://twitter.com/EricBourland

----------------------------------------
From: David Duffy <David.Duffy at qimrberghofer.edu.au>
Sent: 9/2/21 5:07 AM
To: "urth at lists.urth.net" <urth at lists.urth.net>
Subject: (urth) Back to Inter Library Loan - prob some spoilers

Hi All.

Finally finished this. Since the Ploughman's level of story does seem rather full of trapdoors, as someone apparently epigrammatized about Wolfe, I have gone straight to the onomastics, mainly via Wikipedia !!?!

The first kicker for me was that Fevre is an "Occupational surname for ironworkers and Smiths" - hmmph.

Barry is Finnbarr is the King of the Dead, Adah is Dawn, and Chandra is Moon.

"Finvarra is a benevolent figure who ensures good harvests, a master at chess, strong horses, and great riches to those who will assist him. However, he also frequently kidnaps human women."

As Ern himself comments, Ern is the Sea-Eagle, but other meanings in Gaelic are "grieve", "mourn", "pain", "run". Lichholm is pretty straightforward, along with the Jingle Bells House.

Note that "True Humans" are perfectly bilaterally symmetric, so reclones are easy to pick. Note that there is a big literature on "fluctuating asymmetry" in biology,
where asymmetry is a marker (a "soft sign") in humans and other species for assorted genetic disorders. I am sure that Wolfe knew that, given his love of wonky older science. But here, it is a further pointer to being of the Tuatha, some benevolent, some bipolar ;) I am reminded of _Castleview_, but also Waugh's _Decline and Fall_...

Cheers, David Duffy.
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