Subject: Re: (urth) different sev's and silk as seeker
From: matthew.malthouse@guardian.co.uk
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2003 10:54:16 +0100

On 10/07/2003 06:57:55 maa32 wrote:

>As far as I know, Wolfe was not specific about Silk being the only member 
of
>the Seekers for Truth and Penitence.  Here is my take: the Matachine 
Tower is
>the last refuge of a distorted Catholic church: all male, in black, 
seeking to
>serve a greater justice beyond their ability to judge.  They obey.  They 
have
>ceremonies of religious import, but the church has ultimately fractured 
into
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>the female Pelerines and the more sedentary torturers, who have adapted a 
bit
>of a secular role in punishment - bringing hell to Urth a bit before 
death,
>but still serving a higher power.  Purgatory, if you will.

They are not alone. The librarians have analagous ceremonies to those 
described for the torturers, it is mentioned in Sev's conversation with 
Ultan that they are held in the catederal rather than the chapel.  Other 
guilds to process on ceremonial occasions.  Would all be remnants of 
corrupt priesthood or are they not more likely to be inheritors of lay 
organisations performing religious acts of devotion to their spiritual 
patrons as still happens in many part of the world?

Matthew

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