From: Alex David Groce <Alex_Groce@gs246.sp.cs.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: (urth) Triskele
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 11:32:39 

>It can be argued, and someone probably will, that Sev's power comes from the
>Increate, but it was at Sev's feet that the Hierodules prostrated themselves
>upon hearing from his own mouth that he could do something that the High and
>Mighty of Yesod couldn't. I hesitate to parse the religious implications of
>that act.

I'll give it a shot.  Nutria's suggestion about Sev's ho-hum career as
Conciliator being remembered because it reminded humanity of an earlier and
considerably more significant Conciliator seems relevant here--I've argued
before that Severian's "non-tech" miracles that the hieros are impressed by
are possible because Sev. is, in some weird way, like Silk, an apostolic
figure--not in the original sense of being a witness to the resurrection, but
something like that.  The Increate/Outsider is granting this power, and the
New Testament letters are full of statements that post-Penecost, the apostles
will be able to do things and know things that even the angels don't dream of.
(much less angelic seeming aliens from another universe who may or may not be
supposed to actually be angels.)

Oh, BTW, William -- how about Vodalus = Sir Roderick Spode?


"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32
--
Alex David Groce (agroce+@cs.cmu.edu)
Ph.D. Student, Carnegie Mellon University - Computer Science Department
8112 Wean Hall (412)-268-3066
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~agroce

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