# The Mine in Saltus *The Urth list — 5 messages, 4 voices, 26 Apr 2003* > 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. --- ### Nicholas Gevers *26 Apr 2003, 07:19* The matter of the entity in the mine in Saltus: I think all the speculation has ignored the obvious. The entity is Urth herself. When Severian brings the Claw with him below ground, it shines what is, by proxy, the light of the New Sun. The bowels of Urth react as they will when the New Sun comes: with seismic rumblings, premonitions of earthquake. The whole episode is an omen of the foundering of continents prophesied in Dr. Talos's Play and described in THE URTH OF THE NEW SUN... --Nick Gevers. --- ### Che Monro *27 Apr 2003, 07:01 · follows Nicholas Gevers* > At 08:19 AM 26/04/03 +0100, you wrote: > The matter of the entity in the mine in Saltus: I > think all the speculation has ignored the obvious. The > entity is Urth herself. When Severian brings the Claw > with him below ground, it shines what is, by proxy, > the light of the New Sun. The bowels of Urth react as > they will when the New Sun comes: with seismic > rumblings, premonitions of earthquake. The whole > episode is an omen of the foundering of continents > prophesied in Dr. Talos's Play and described in THE > URTH OF THE NEW SUN... Hummm... Which would explain why so much of a fuss is made in the text about whether the power resides in the Claw or in Severian himself. Getting at the Truth via misdirection. But then, um, all the Urth is hallowed ground, right? Che Ché Franz Joseph Monro -- http://www.chemonro.com che at chemonro.com -- flirt at technologist.com --- ### matthew.malthouse *06 May 2003, 09:02 · follows Che Monro* > On 26/04/2003 08:19:24 ?iso-8859-1?q?Nicholas=20Gevers?= wrote: > The matter of the entity in the mine in Saltus: I I like entity much beter than inteligence. > think all the speculation has ignored the obvious. The > entity is Urth herself. When Severian brings the Claw > with him below ground, it shines what is, by proxy, > the light of the New Sun. The bowels of Urth react as > they will when the New Sun comes: with seismic > rumblings, premonitions of earthquake. The whole > episode is an omen of the foundering of continents > prophesied in Dr. Talos's Play and described in THE > URTH OF THE NEW SUN... Oh but a small point: the mine's guardians react in a manner to suggest fear based on prior experience; they have some concept of what is coming so they must have seen it before, sans claw, sans Severian. That bit always reminds me of the drums pre-figuring the balrog in the mines of Moria. Matthew --- ### Hubert Rogers *06 May 2003, 20:41 · follows matthew.malthouse* Cyriaca's story in Sword of the Lictor and Severian's statement that he thinks he knows something of those machines, seem to suggest that there was indeed an entity in the mine at Saltus. What else could Severian be referring to when he said that? > That bit always reminds me of the drums pre-figuring the balrog in the > mines of Moria. > > > Matthew I agree this 'scene' does seem to be heavily Tolkien influenced. Hubert --- ### matthew.malthouse *07 May 2003, 11:25 · follows Hubert Rogers* > On 06/05/2003 21:41:55 Hubert Rogers wrote: > Cyriaca's story in Sword of the Lictor and Severian's statement that he > thinks he knows something of those machines, seem to suggest that there > was > indeed an entity in the mine at Saltus. I was happy with "entity". I'd have quibled with the ealier used "inteligence". > What else could Severian be > referring to when he said that? I can't look right now (me, office: books, home) but I have a feeling that I thought the inhabitants of the Wall of Nessus. Curious though, at the time of the incident with Cyriaca Severian had some superficial knowledge of the Citadel, had fled whatever approached in the Mines of Saltus and had gained barely more than a tourist's view of the House Absolute. What knowledge could Severian the lictor of Thrax have of such? I'd have thought very little. So is Severian, Autarch and Author interpolating knowledge that he possesses into the conversations of his earlier, more ignorant self? Matthew ---