Subject: (whorl) Voided Cross

From: Michael Straight <straight at email.unc.edu>
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 10:44:04 +0000

[Posted from WHORL, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]

Freom Wolfe's answers to our questions:

> 18.  "Describe . . . a voided cross and a gammadion."  A gammadion is
> any figure composed of gamma-shaped pieces.  The most common
> gammadions are the swastika and the voided cross.  (The swastika is
> ancient, by the way, and is found in both East Indian and American
> Indian art.)  To make a voided cross, arrange four gammas, not
> touching, so that the points point toward a common center.

What are the "points" of a gamma?  Is this what he's describing?  It's the
best I could think of from that description (monospaced font required!).
If you need them to be "not touching" to make the voided cross, how are
they linked together?

                         O 
                         O X
                        OO XXXX

                      ZZZZ QQ
                         Z Q
                           Q
-Rostrum

---

From: Doug Eigsti <douge at nti.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 17:09:37 +0000

> 
> 
> From Wolfe's answers to our questions:
> 
Rostrom,

	Yes, I think your diagram accurately illustrates what he was
describing. Your point on linking is a valid one, although there are few
of us who think it matters. The physical object worn by chapter members in
LONG SUN is comprised of four gamma shaped objects that are useful as
screwdrivers. These are somehow linked to form the Void Cross. To me it
seems that any linking device intruding into the "void"  area would either
fill the void or alter the "gamma".
	I dredged out an ancient post form the archives describing my 
favorite shape for the Void Cross:

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO          XXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO          XXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO          XXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO          XXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOO                              OOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOO                              OOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOO                              OOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOO                              OOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXX          OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXX          OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXX          OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXX          OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
	This is composed solely of four true gammas with no linking 
bridges. The void in the center is a plus sign shaped cross. To me this 
better satisfies the requirements of Pas's Void Cross than does the one 
described by Gene Wolfe in his response to the train question. Note: that 
Gene Wolfe was not asked to describe Pas's void cross but only a "voided 
cross and a gammadion". His reply stated the encyclopedia definitions for 
both, and not necessarily the void cross worn by Silk, Quetzal, and Remora.
	Do we take Gene Wolfe speaking ex cathedra on this, or any other
subject, over the evidence found in the text. I find it stifling to think
that an impression garnered by a reader from the text can be called wrong.
If a reader's impression is as well supported in the text as an
alternative view, who's to say which is correct? If they do not arrive at
the identical conclusion that the author had intended perhaps the author
did not express himself clearly enough. Fiction is an artform. An painter
must be judged by what he has put up on the canvas not by what he says to
the art lovers looking on in the gallery. An actor's performance can only
be judged by what the audience sees on the screen, not by his motivation
or preparation. A writer of fiction can be appreciated only by the words
on the page. Gene Wolfe is one of my favorite artists. The pictures he
paints in my head are among the most beautiful of any writer. They 
probably do not look like those of any other reader.
	I noticed that after the answer train came in, the Pike's Ghost
dialog was terminated. The aquastor theory was sounding good to me, but
Gene Wolfe stated that machines were not involved. End of discussion? 
Don't let the answer train railroad us into seeing pictures that aren't 
there. 

=Talon=

---

From: Michael Straight <straight at email.unc.edu>
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 09:44:53 +0000

> that an impression garnered by a reader from the text can be called wrong.

If this shape isn't the one Wolfe had in mind, it ought to be :-), I was
just trying to puzzle out his answer.

Maybe he didn't have a specific shape in mind, but rather wanted to invoke
both the voided cross and the swastika, even if they are contradictory.

-Rostrum

---

From: Doug Eigsti <douge at nti.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 09:35:32 +0000

> both the voided cross and the swastika, even if they are contradictory.
	I would say you are onto something. My concept of Wolfe is that 
he likes to create scenarios where several, possibly contradictory, 
results are possible. The classic example is SEVEN AMERICAN NIGHTS; Which 
egg, if any, contained the hallucinogen? This kind of mind game is what 
makes Wolfe so appealing to me. To pin down his text to mean any specific 
thing is to limit our enjoyment. An open ended problem stays in the mind 
longer while we continue to ponder a solution. If my mind reaches closure 
on a topic I tend to put it aside, whereas an unsolved mystery stays in 
active memory to be called up when triggered by other related thoughts, 
to be relived time and again.

=Talon=