Book of the New Sun -- Severian's mother

Chris Jarocha-Ernst · 30 Mar 1987, 18:56 · from sf-lovers.1987.mbox

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From: cje at elbereth.RUTGERS.EDU (Chris Jarocha-Ernst)
Subject: Re: Book of the New Sun -- Severian's mother
Date: 30 Mar 87 18:56:07 GMT
Message-ID: <sflovers-v12-120-9 at digest.sf-lovers>
X-Digest-Issue: SF-LOVERS Digest V12 #120
X-Urthmirror-Source: https://archive.org/details/sf-lovers-digest-vol-12a

kjm at dg_rtp.UUCP (Kevin Maroney) writes:
> I feel fairly confident in stating that Catherine was not in any
> way connected with the other characters of the novel. Although
> with the bizarre folds in time, there's always the possibility
> that Catherine is Saint Katherine, the patron of the Order of
> Seekers of Truth and Penitence.

Realize that this is coming from someone who's read the first 2
books only and so may be unfamiliar with later developments.

In the Christian Church, Saint Catherine of Alexandria was tortured
to death (as were many saints, admittedly) on the wheel.  I don't
know what she's supposed to be the Patron Saint of, but it wouldn't
be surprising if she were so honored by the Torturers.

Side notes: a Catherine('s) Wheel is also an acrobatic cartwheel and
a type of fireworks.  Some British pubs are named "The Cat and
Wheel" after a corruption of "Catherine's Wheel".  The point here is
that this woman and her torture device are linked in popular
culture, making her an even more likely candidate as Patron Saint of
Torturers.  (*And no flames about bad taste!  Since when has the
Church cared about bad taste? :-) *)

Chris Jarocha-Ernst

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