Subject: (urth) DOORS: sirens, nurses, death or escape

From: Michael Andre-Driussi <mantis at siriusfiction.com>
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 03:54:35 +0000

Andrew Bollen wrote:
>> "Leucothea" was also the name of one of the Sirens. I've always thought
>that
>> it would have been a good name for Seawrack.
>>
>
>I forgot to make the obvious point that a Siren's name is appropriate for
>the lover of Billy the sea captain.

The only quibble I have is that, very technically, the real Greek "siren"
was not a mermaid but (yet another) woman-headed bird (see also harpies).
I often make the mistake of thinking of sirens as naughty mermaids, as
salt-water Loreleis, etc., and I can blame this in part to the visual arts
of popular Western Civilization (from the Roxy Music album cover to
anywhere else, like the barmaids in Joyce's ULYSSES, but that ain't visual).

Well, another quibble: is it really Leucothea?  One source I'm looking at
says "Leukosia."

But this to one side: yes, Leucothea is (also) a marine goddess; yes, Lara
says she is the storm and her world is the sea; so all is good.

Stone Ox wrote:
>Does anybody else think the nuse let him out of the hospital in
>exchange for sex?  It doesn't matter whether she thought he could
>survive afterwards or whether she just thought he was nuts; there's
>adequate motivation either way.  And this adds extra significance
>to North's comment "Not a word about her, you notice?  They're
>afraid they'll make them quit using nurses on the men's floor."

Oh, I like that!  I was almost there but did not make the connection
myself.  Nice call.

=mantis=

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From: Andrew Bollen <abollen at internode.on.net>
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 04:18:23 +0000

> Well, another quibble: is it really Leucothea?  One source I'm looking at

Blah! You're right; I was muddled.

Leucothea the sea-nymph resuced Odysseus, so I guess it's still an
appropriate name for the lover of Cap'n Billy.

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