# Hierodules *The Urth list — 2 messages, 2 voices, 26 May 2006* > 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. --- ### b sharp *26 May 2006, 10:48* I'm pretty sure the ugly Hierodule masks of F, B and O are an insect, a lamprey (fish) and a human leper. I think Famulimus is the leper. yep, earthly hierodules, uh praying mantises, have very triangular heads. So does Thecla (face anyway). Perhaps Michael Andre-Driussi also? Praying Mantises are pretty scary looking up close but helpful to us because they eat a bunch of nasty, harmful bugs. Plus they pray! Deliberate symbolism by Wolfe? --- ### Dan'l Danehy-Oakes *27 May 2006, 02:11 · in reply to b sharp* > On 5/26/06, b sharp wrote: > I'm pretty sure the ugly Hierodule masks of F, B and O are an insect, > a lamprey (fish) and a human leper. I think Famulimus is the leper. This is correct. And there were exceptionally beautiful human faces -- to the point, as I recall, that they were no longer quite human -- underneath the second layer of masks. Severian, if I recall correctly, remarks that they appear to him to be what the walking statue in the garden of the House Absolute was based on. --Dan'l ``` I do not fear Satan half so much as I fear those who fear him. -- St Teresa of Avila http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer ``` ---