From: "James Wynn" 
Subject: RE: (urth) Another Avern for you
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 13:45:25 -0500

"Another avern for you", said Agilus

>>>Nutria wrote:
>>>
>>>... "Ascian" ... actually means "shadowless."
>>> Shadowless, directly under the sun, seems to
>>>me a good symbol for a timeless philosophical
>>>worldview.

Hmmm. I thought they were "shadowless" because they were in continuous dark?
Although, no doubt they interpreted it the other way. But the Ascians are
under the control Erebus (Erebus according to Hesiod is the "darkness of
Tartaros")

Severian is the New Sun, the roses (which are sun symbols) represent life,
nenuphars whose roots extend to the darkness of the water represent death.

Surely darkness is ironically the intended implication of the name "Ascian".

-- Crush





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