Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 09:31:36 -0500
From: James Jordan 
Subject: Re: (urth) Who is the Long Sun?

At 01:40 AM 9/6/2003, you wrote:
>There is an obvious analog to Auk in the New Sun books - Hildegrim the
>badger.
>
>Like Auk, Hildegrim is tall, heavy, dark and strong,  starts out as our
>hero's mentor, is morally ambiguous, and comes to a bad end.
>
>And there is a near-"twinning" in the scene with Apu-Punchau in the dead
>town
>
>Auk/Hildegrim seems to be the *false* brother
>
>
>     hartshorn

There is Biblical background for this also, with Cain and Abel, and even 
more, the twins Esau and Jacob. Behind these pairs are Lucifer and the 
Angel of Yahweh, who wrestle for the soul.
         There seem to be some differences between Wolfe's two narratives. 
Severian is a morally ambiguous man who is becoming better; Hildegrim is a 
morally ambiguous man who becomes worse, iirc.
         Auk is a bit more like a Peter to Silk's Jesus. If Auk is the LS, 
perhaps it is because he is "in union with" Silk, and Silk is the more 
foundational LS. Perhaps it's relevant that Mucor confuses Silk and Auk in 
*Exodus,* which is after the resurrection of Silk, when, so to speak, his 
spirit is going forth to unite others to him.
         Of course, that does not explain why Auk thinks of himself as the 
LS in *Calde.*
         Of course, in a narrative full of clones, there is probably more 
to it than that. Hmmm. Speculation: Auk is a clone of the god who controls 
the LS, who is a son of Typhon/Pas. Silk is a clone of Typhon/Pas. They are 
son and father, clonely. That would fit with the theme of Silk acting as 
father (patera) to Auk.
         This would lead to saying that Pas and Silk are the LS, and the 
god and Auk are "son of" the LS.
         Don't know if this advances things any.

Nutria

Nutria


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