From: mark millman <millman@us.ncipher.com>
Subject: Re: (whorl) re: [big spoiler] Narrative technique in _Return_
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 17:31:02 

At 09:52 AM 08-02-01 -0800, Michael Andre-Driussi wrote:

> [snip]
>
> But back to Urth--that Scylla's body was in Severian's 
> favorite mausoleum (remember the bronze that has 
> his own features) causes all sorts of big ripples . . . is 
> Severian, at root, a member of the same family?  He 
> cannot be Typhon, since Typhon is blond and 
> entombed on Mount Typhon.  So if he is a member 
> of the royal family, he must be a son.  One of the 
> two sons.  A dark son.  Perhaps the dark son who 
> had a mildly helpful role in TBOTLS.
>
> =mantis=

Surely, mantis, Severian is a grandson of Typhon, at nearest, if 
not a remote descendant.  Unless you're prepared to throw out 
the conclusion that Ouen is Severian's father and Dorcas is 
Ouen's mother, we know Severian's father is not a member of 
Typhon's family.  That leaves his mother, and unless Typhon 
& co. were (1) walking the corridors of Time, which, for all 
their other activities, we haven't known them to do, (2) allowing 
Echidna to go gallivanting about getting herself impregnated by 
men other than Typhon (a bad way to ensure the continuity of 
a royal line, to be sure), or (3) playing body-games -much- more 
interesting than the one that Typhon tried with Piaton, I don't 
see how Severian could be a member of Typhon's immediate 
family.  

I'd much prefer the more allegorical explanation that, as the 
exultant families came to Urth with Typhon, they're all part of 
his extended "family", latterly including Severian through his 
mother.

Of course, that still leaves open the question that you're trying 
to answer, to wit:  Why would Scylla insist on being buried in 
Severian's mausoleum?  Perhaps Echidna's original was un-
faithful to Typhon, or was already pregnant when she married 
him, and Cilinia is Severian's daughter.  

Nacre

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