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From: "A Aramini" <aramini@citlink.net>
Subject: (urth) severian's sister speculation: pia
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 23:13:03
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I have never been convinced by the argument that Merryn the witch is =
Sev's sister.
A recent rereading of The Sword of the Lictor has almost convinced me =
that Pia is at least a candidate for this relationship. (incest never =
bothered Severian before)
=20
I did not see any reference to Pia in the Lexicon Urthus, but I am =
familiar with the historical name: in Canto V of Dante's Purgatorio =
Dante meets a spirit who will not talk until Dante is cared for who =
identifies herself as Pia.
She begs only Dante himself to remember her (other spirits request that =
Dante tell the world about them because they want to get out as quickly =
as possible by having as many people praying for them as they can get). =
She says she was married by a ring and was both made and unmade by this =
act of love, betrayed (killed?) by her husband. =20
Two historical candidates exist for this Pia, but she is not a =
mythological or literary figure but rather a contemporary of Dante's =
time. =20
The unlikely candidate was killed by her husband by being cast out of a =
window. =20
She died more than twenty years after the supposed date (1300) of the =
Divine Comedy, so Dante probably does not refer to her.
The other Pia was probably wed without a ceremony simply by the =
traditional act of placing a ring upon her (this coincides with the =
manacles on the slave girl Pia in the Sword of the Lictor, symbolic of =
this old ownership by ring. The false historical Pia's fate bears =
resemblace to Piaton's, an anagram for NOT PIA, a slave to his =
psuedobride Typhon, and his fall from the window of Mt. Typhon)
=20
Also, the evidence of Severian having a sister is more strongly =
presented in The Sword of the Lictor than the other books, and he says =
in this volume that he realizes that anyone he meets could be his =
relative.
He meets little Severian and the twin name Severa/Severian is explored. =
Big Severian thinks that Severa is upstairs, when in fact it is Agia =
lurking around. =20
This posing of Agia as Severa led me to thinking, but it seemed an =
indication that
we would only hear hints of Big Severa's presence and that she would =
never be revealed directly.
Later Severian tells the Story of Frog, in which the twins are separated =
at birth after they both float down the river in a basket like Moses. =
They are taken in by different families.
Severian makes reference to similarities between Pia's name to Piaton,=20
saying he feels that he owes her aid due to his debt to someone with a =
very similar name, but the first similar name that came to my mind was =
Agia, who last appeared posing as Severa.
Her description as very thin-waisted is cited as very rare among these =
people, she has long raven black hair and a pale complexion, and when =
Severian asks how old she was he finds that she is exactly the same age =
as he. =20
He compares her face to Agia's, saying it is not nearly as broad but =
still somewhat broad (a broad woman face is caused by high cheek bones)
Severian has black hair, is pale, and is always described as very =
thin-waisted. He is also the same age as her, having high cheekbones =
(from the description of Cyriaca, also in The Sword of the Lictor)=20
Merryn does not seem to have some of these qualifications.
=20
My biggest doubts about Pia's relationship to Severian remain:
1. how did she get up to the lake people to be raised?
If Gyoll is connected to Lake Diurturna, she was probably put in a =
basket like Fish
in the story of Frog (another story in the sword of the lictor), and =
sailed down there or cast adrift somehow. =20
Severian is always in or on one river or another, but there is no =
mention of Merryn being near water (except the Cumean at the lake of =
birds) or being his age, so I like to think that perhaps despite the =
clue that "If I have a sister she is a witch" Pia is a candidate.
In any case, I felt those passages involving Pia to be of special =
interest due to=20
the accurate physical description employed by Severian and her presence =
as the first woman Severian meets after his long layoff following his =
flight from Thrax.
2. Gene Wolfe says he isn't sure who Severians sister is.
Wow. I don't know if I believe him. I think no one has ever asked =
him if its Pia so he is being cagey and won't say one way or the other. =
In any case I feel she is somehow important.
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<DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>I have never been convinced by the =
argument that=20
Merryn the witch is Sev's sister.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>A recent rereading of The Sword of =
the Lictor=20
has almost convinced me that Pia is at least a candidate for this =
relationship.=20
(incest never bothered Severian before)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I did not see any reference to Pia in the Lexicon =
Urthus, but=20
I am familiar with the historical name: in Canto V of Dante's Purgatorio =
Dante=20
meets a spirit who will not talk until Dante is cared for who identifies =
herself=20
as Pia.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>She begs only Dante himself to remember her (other =
spirits=20
request that Dante tell the world about them because they want to get =
out as=20
quickly as possible by having as many people praying for them as they =
can=20
get). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>She says she was married by a ring and was both made =
and=20
unmade by this act of love, betrayed (killed?) by her husband. =20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Two historical candidates exist for this Pia, but =
she is not a=20
mythological or literary figure but rather a contemporary of Dante's =
time. =20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>The unlikely candidate was killed by her husband by =
being cast=20
out of a window. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>She died more than twenty years after the supposed =
date (1300)=20
of the Divine Comedy, so Dante probably does not refer to =
her.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> <FONT size=3D2>The other Pia was =
probably wed=20
without a ceremony simply by the traditional act of placing a ring upon =
her=20
(this coincides with the manacles on the slave girl Pia in the Sword of =
the=20
Lictor, symbolic of this old ownership by ring. The false historical =
Pia's fate=20
bears resemblace to Piaton's, an anagram for NOT PIA, a slave to his =
psuedobride=20
Typhon, and his fall from the window of Mt. Typhon)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Also, the evidence of Severian having a sister is =
more=20
strongly presented in The Sword of the Lictor than the other books, and =
he says=20
in this volume that he realizes that anyone he meets could be his=20
relative.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>He meets little Severian and the twin name =
Severa/Severian is=20
explored. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Big Severian thinks that Severa is upstairs, when in =
fact it=20
is Agia lurking around. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>This posing of Agia as Severa led me to thinking, =
but it=20
seemed an indication that</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>we would only hear hints of Big Severa's =
presence and=20
that she would never be revealed directly.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Later Severian tells the Story of Frog, in which the =
twins are=20
separated at birth after they both float down the river in a basket like =
Moses. They are taken in by different families.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Severian makes reference to similarities between =
Pia's name to=20
Piaton, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>saying he feels that he owes her aid due to his debt =
to=20
someone with a very similar name, but the first similar name that came =
to my=20
mind was Agia, who last appeared posing as Severa.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> Her description as very thin-waisted is cited =
as very=20
rare among these people, she has long raven black hair and a pale =
complexion,=20
and when Severian asks how old she was he finds that she is exactly the =
same age=20
as he. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>He compares =
her face to=20
Agia's, saying it is not nearly as broad but still somewhat broad (a =
broad woman=20
face is caused by high cheek bones)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Severian has black hair, is pale, and is always =
described as=20
very thin-waisted. He is also the same age as her, having high =
cheekbones=20
(from the description of Cyriaca, also in The Sword of the Lictor) =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Merryn does not seem to have some of these=20
qualifications.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>My biggest doubts about Pia's relationship to =
Severian=20
remain:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>1. how did she get up to the lake people to be=20
raised?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>If Gyoll is connected to Lake Diurturna, she was =
probably put=20
in a basket like Fish</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>in the story of Frog (another story in the sword of =
the=20
lictor), and sailed down there or cast adrift somehow. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Severian is always in or on one river or another, =
but there is=20
no mention of Merryn being near water (except the Cumean at the lake of =
birds)=20
or being his age, so I like to think that perhaps despite the clue that =
"If=20
I have a sister she is a witch" Pia is a candidate.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> In any case, I felt those =
passages=20
involving Pia to be of special interest due to </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>the accurate physical description employed by =
Severian and her=20
presence as the first woman Severian meets after his long layoff =
following his=20
flight from Thrax.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>2. Gene Wolfe says he isn't sure who Severians =
sister=20
is.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> Wow. I don't know if I =
believe him. I=20
think no one has ever asked him if its Pia so he is being cagey and =
won't say=20
one way or the other. In any case I feel she is somehow =
important<FONT=20
color=3D#000000>.</FONT></FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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