From: Dan Parmenter <dan@lec.com>
Subject: (urth) What does Erebus eat for lunch?  Whatever he wants.
Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 14:41:33 

From: C R Culver <CRCulver@aol.com>

>The monsters we hear about are Erebus, Abaia, Uroborous, and Scylla (the last
>mentioned, I believe, only once). I used to believe that the monsters, besides
>Abaia perhaps, did not really exist, but rather were creations of the
>laypeople to explain the encroaching ice. But, the last few volumes seem to
>imply that an underwater civilisation is actually present.

Jonas definitely seems to think that the monsters are for real and
even seems impressed that Severian understand that they're genuinely
huge.  Typhon claims to sense their presence and seems to think that
it won't be too much trouble to bend them to his will.  Didn't one of
Mantis' theories tie into this?  That the monsters are the descendants
of the monarchists or something?  So the "villains" want to extend
their own lives, either through replacement bodies or contiued
growth.

Does Severian hear their footsteps in the mine?

I've certainly toyed with the idea that the monsters of the deep were
"mythical" or even a deliberate ruse.

Re: URTH MUSIC

The soundtrack I hear in my mind probably resembles the song "Venus in
Furs" by the Velvet Underground, minus its silly lyrics.  The song
itself is a slow-building, distorted drone with a traditional sounding
tune, played on (among other things) an electric viola strung with
electric guitar strings.  Something about the notion of "repetition is
change".  I also imagine something akin to Indian Classical music,
both due to its droney qualities as well as the unfamiliar 1/4 tones
and whatnot.  I imagine something quite different from Western scales
and modes, perhaps like Harry Partch's 43-tone scales or something.

D


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