<div>The many-limbedness of the Neighbors, their worship of the Mother goddess, and the prominence of Gaon and the Hindi-named gaonese (who seem to worship a benevolent Kali-esque aspect of Echidna) in tBotSS point toward an important role for Hinduism in the novel's interpretation. Does the Hindu aspect give us any insight into the Mother's motivation, Seawrack's identity, or the nature of the Neighbors or the inhumi?</div>
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<div>Matt</div>
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<div>PS - I recently read Cambell's _The Hero with a Thousand Faces_ for the first time. Completely mindblowing as a work of erudition, an enlightening as a sampler of myths across cultures. Highly recommended.</div>