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<p>Exactly. I would only add "or even confirming" to "intentional
and reinforcing."</p>
<p>For example, we already suspected Appian was the Old Autarch, but
where we might otherwise be puzzled by his apparently ironic
occupation as honey steward and count it as a "con" rather than a
"pro," the myth that a sacrificed bull's life passes into bees
makes it a clear "pro" when we consider the symbolism of bull
sacrifice. <br>
</p>
<p>Bull sacrifice is not mentioned either. It's too obvious. But
once it is interpolated, lots of things click, and the Mithraic
cult coherently combines all these symbolically structured
relationships. <br>
</p>
<p>The larger point is not that Wolfe is a slave to Greek
superstitions, but that he never contradicts them. So where
Chekhov would never put a rifle on the wall without it being
fired, Wolfe would never put a honey steward in the House Absolute
except as a link to "the gods" whose "soul" moves between
sacrificial victims. To do so would wreck Wolfe's carefully
constructed symbolic machinery.<br>
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2/18/2018 10:40 AM, Marc Aramini
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAF1072wUjSsnEQKFfK=YLKfNMcEK0G4xJQy1ujAV_Le6UtcwXw@mail.gmail.com">This
is the issue with allusions in Wolfe - sometimes the extratextual
ones are essentially external confirmation of our suspicions, but
they are usually chosen around a unifying theme. Given the
prominence of Sun rebirth death sacrifice etc etc etc in new sun
any conceivable connection to a cult of Mithras in incidental
details is intentional and reinforcing at best and aptly
coincidental at worst- still worth mentioning. It is when theme
does not arrant it tht we travel the slippery slope of, for
example, navigator as jfk. <br>
<br>
On Sunday, February 18, 2018, David Stockhoff <<a
href="mailto:dstockhoff@verizon.net" moz-do-not-send="true">dstockhoff@verizon.net</a>>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Severian's
position in Thrax bears only the slightest suggestive
resemblance to that of a Roman lictor. There is no "as such"
here.<br>
<br>
Wolfe does not mention God or Borges either.<br>
<br>
<br>
On 2/18/2018 12:50 AM, Gerry Leb wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
In Thrax, based on the letter from The Guild, Severian is
appointed Lictor. As such, he is the chief law enforcement
officer of Thrax, responsible for the prison, the barbican,
the personal security of the Archon, and also, in the final
scene of his holding of the office, he is detailed to perform
the murder of a subject, Cyriaca. He refuses to kill her, and
flees. In the book, as far as I can recall, there are no
references to Severian in any context that could possibly be
connected to the earthly faith of Mithraism.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
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