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<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=severiansola@hotmail.com
href="mailto:severiansola@hotmail.com">Lee Berman</A> </DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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<DIV><BR>> > Gerry Quinn: Jesus existed in the universe of Urth – Silk has
a vision of <BR>> > him entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.<BR><BR>> I
think this has been discussed in the past. That vision does seem to be
of<BR>> a Jesus-like figure. But severian has been described (by Wolfe) as a
Christ-<BR>> like figure and we can be pretty sure he is not Christ.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Actually, Wolfe said Severian was “a Christian figure”. But in any
case, Silk’s vision was not of Severian but was a pretty clear reference to
Jesus on Palm Sunday. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>> Conversely, even if the figure Silk sees in the vision happened to
be named<BR>> Jesus (or Yeshua or Joshua) I don't think he is meant to be
Jesus Christ, The <BR>> Saviour of Humanity. Humanity on Urth/Whorl is still
plagued by all the stuff <BR>> Earth's humanity was plagued with before Jesus
and even the stuff before the <BR>> Flood. Things like false (but real) gods,
monsters, demonic possession, etc.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The same is true of our own Earth. </DIV>
<DIV><BR> <BR>> If the Jesus that Silk sees was Jesus Christ, it would
mean his salvation was<BR>> only temporary and faded. Doesn't seem like a
very Christian concept to me, but<BR>> I dunno. Anyway, Urth's humanity is
plagued by a lot of problems with no hope <BR>> for salvation except for a
New Sun that might come someday. (and as has been<BR>> mentioned in the past,
it is part of Earth's God's covenant that he wouldn't<BR>> ever use a Flood
again on humanity).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But Urth *is* saved, resurrected even. As for the personal salvation
of its inhabitants, that is a matter between them and what is called in
Severian’s time the Increate. Regarding the Flood, Wolfe is a Catholic,
and probably doesn’t fret about Biblical literalism.<BR> <BR> <BR>>
>Gerry Quinn: Echidna is (presumably) no blood relation of Typhon, yet her
<BR>> >digitised personality has similar powers.<BR> <BR>>
Mythological Echidna was Typhon's sister as well as his mate. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>That depends on which of a dozen origin stories you select. Besides,
they were monsters, not people.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>> I think there <BR>> was a purpose in naming her this way. Part of
it was surely that Typhon and<BR>> Echidna are known as the "mother and
father of all monsters". But wny not<BR>> make their sibling relationship
part of it also. Pagan ruling houses were well<BR>> known to use
sibling matings to solidify dynasties.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>One might note in this regard that Typhon’s offspring were all in some way
defective. On the other hand, Typhon would have known of the dangers of
inbreeding, and it also seems that he didn’t much like the idea of genetically
engineering his offspring. So it would be remarkable if he married his
sister. Duke Rigoglio doesn’t mention anything unusual about his marriage
– you’d think such a thing would be remarked upon.</DIV>
<DIV><BR> <BR>> Even if there were no evidence of genetically similar
powers, I would think<BR>> it more likely that Echidna was Typhon's sister
than that she wasn't. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There is no evidence whatsoever of genetically similar powers. We are
told nothing about any genetically endowed powers Echidna (or whatever her real
name was) may have had. We know her digitised personality can invoke the
personality transfer mechanisms installed in the Sacred Windows, but so can all
the others except maybe Tartarus.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>> The assumption of outbreeding and marriage based on love is a modern
prejudice. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Outbreeding has notable advantages that societies ignore at their
peril. As for love, it’s not unlikely that Typhon married into some
powerful family rather than for love; he had concubines as well, after
all. Or perhaps Echidna was necessary to him in some other way. But
there’s no particular evidence of incest that I can see.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>- Gerry Quinn</DIV>
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