From: Michael Straight <straight@email.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: (urth) Urth: Terminus Est
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 23:08:39 

On Sun, 29 Nov 1998, Kevin J. Maroney wrote:

> At 06:56 AM 11/26/98 -0500, Nigel wrote:
> >But surely the obvious point about Severian's sword is that it is named in
> >a direct quotation of Christ's words from the cross, "It is finished!",
> >which I'm pretty sure is translated in the Vulgate (Wolfe, I believe, is a
> >Catholic) as "Terminus Est."  (I couldn't find my Latin Vulgate when I was
> >looking just now, but if anyone has one to hand, perhaps they could check
> >for me.)
> 
> John 19:30 cum ergo accepisset Iesus acetum dixit consummatum est et
>                                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

Alas!  A very beautiful hypothesis slain by an ugly fact.  Nigel really
had me feeling like I'd missed the blindingly obvious for a minute there.

Even so, the comparison is interesting.  I've heard more than one sermon
on the importance of understanding the last words of Jesus to mean "It is
consumated" rather than "It is the end."  

Severian's sword is shattered, after all.  He must cease being one who
says "It is the end" to the condemned in order that he may one day say,
"It is consumated" to the whole world.

-Rostrum


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