{
  "export": {
    "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/312",
    "note": "Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright in each message remains with the person who wrote it.  Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact.",
    "addresses": "obscured as 'user at host'"
  },
  "archive": "urth",
  "thread": {
    "id": 312,
    "subject": "Symbolism in The Sword of The Lictor",
    "messages": 1,
    "voices": 1,
    "first": "1998-01-29T14:47:52+00:00",
    "last": "1998-01-29T14:47:52+00:00"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "<urth-v0006-0457@digest.urth.net>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Patri10629",
        "address": "patri10629 at aol.com"
      },
      "date": "1998-01-29T14:47:52+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Symbolism in The Sword of The Lictor",
      "in_reply_to": null,
      "reply_link": null,
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Buds,\n\nIn THE SWORD OF THE LICTOR (p.162--SWORD & CITADEL Trade P)...\n\nSeverian is on a boat observing his first floating island. He is moved to a\nmeditation on \"symbolism.\"\n\n\"The great question...is determining what these symbols mean in and of\nthemselves. We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the\nlast letter but one, and a sword in the last.\"\n\nNow, with some intimidation for this learned group of Wolfeans, and some\nconcern that what I'm about to say is either A) perfectly obvious, or, B)\nredundant, having been noted before...I'll fling my thoughts into the wings of\ncyberspace.\n\nHe's asking us to look (really look) at the final two letters in the word:\n\"last.\"\n\nThey are S--the serpent, and t--the knife. \n\nst\n\nThey are pictographs. Symbols in their own right. The root of writing, no\ndoubt. \nAbstract representations of something else. Isn't there a symbol that\nincorporates both the snake & the sword? Isn't it the symbol of \"Doctor\"? Or,\nif you will, \"Healer\"?\n\nThey are also symbols of sounds. They form the word \"Est.\"\n\nThey are also the abbreviation of the word \"Saint.\"\n\nAs a Saint is (in a sense) an abbreviation of God. Something greater and\nricher embodied in a smaller vessel.\n\nI think Severian is talking, in code, about himself.\n\nBest,\n\nPatrick O'leary"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}